Well-related mare Dresse’ Par Joli will have her final opportunity to break her maiden on Wednesday before she heads off on a winter break.
The Tavistock four-year-old has finished close up in all three of her runs this preparation and the step up to a middle distance in The Underbelly Tito Transport Maiden (2000m) at New Plymouth will aid her cause.
Trained on the course by Allan Sharrock, Dresse’ Par Joli is a daughter of the Listed Matamata Cup (1600m) winner Cote D’Or from the Pencarrow Stud family of multiple Group One winner and successful sire Darci Brahma.
“She will go to the paddock after this, she’s a well-bred mare who is still a bit weak, but she should go close to getting up this time,” Sharrock said.
Dresse’ Par Joli finished runner-up at Otaki over 1600m two runs back and was then fourth at Trentham over a mile again and easing out in trip is expected to suit the mare.
She will further benefit from Triston Moodley’s three kilogram claim and the in-form apprentice will also partner fancied stablemates Librasi and Lazio.
The former will resume in the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1200m) and has had the benefit of a trial outing to ready the Reliable Man for her return.
Librasi has only won once but has showed her quality when third in the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and also ran fourth in the Listed O’Leary’s Fillies’ Stakes (1200m).
“It’s the old story, a bit like Sophmaze who came back well on Saturday, they had busy two and three-year-old years and they can bail out for a bit, but Librasi has come up well,” Sharrock said.
“I like her fresh-up and she has drawn well in one.”
Per Incanto four-year-old Lazio is another returning from a break in the One Bold Cat Counties Cup Winner Maiden (1200m).
“He’s got to be tough to beat after two runs for two seconds,” Sharrock said.
“He would have been a very smart horse if he didn’t have knee problems, but he’s still a good galloper and he’s pretty forward.”
Lazio is a half-brother to the champion Hong Kong performer and four-time Group One winner Lucky Sweynesse.
Continuing the apprentice theme, Brigit will be ridden by Toni Davies in Lazio’s event or by Niranjan Parmar if she contests the Mary Louise Wellington Cup winner 3YO Maiden (1200m).
“She goes really well and is another I’d expect to be pretty competitive,” Sharrock said.
Both of the Time Test filly’s outings have been over the course and distance and she was a close runner-up on debut and then followed up with a sound effort for fourth.
Sharrock is enjoying another satisfying 2023-24 term with 34 winners and the stable surpassing the $1 million mark in earnings for the fourth consecutive season.
“We’ve still got 40 in work and sorting through them all so I can’t complain,” he said.