Turn The Ace extended a glittering run of form on the heavy conditions at Te Rapa on Saturday, producing a fifth career victory for trainer Andrew Forsman.
The five-year-old son of Turn Me Loose was confidently sent forward to be pacemaker under apprentice Elen Nicholas, and when challengers Hot Salsa and El Nymph loomed at the top of the straight, the pair stuck to the inside rail to cruise away for a stylish win in the Lodge Real Estate Mile (1600m).
“It was a very good win. He obviously favours Te Rapa which is always good, so we knew he’d run well because he does like the track,” Forsman said.
“It was a good dominant win, he did have to carry a bit of weight compared to a few others in the field so I thought he was very strong at the line.”
Turn The Ace carried 57kg with Nicholas’ two-kilogram claim at Te Rapa, however, further weight penalties following the victory means despite holding a nomination for the ITM New Plymouth Interprovincial (1600m) this Saturday, the gelding will likely bypass the race.
“We’re just deciding today if we back him up and run him because it’s probably a bit of a tough ask, he’ll probably have to carry a bit too much weight to contest that race so more than likely he won’t go down there,” he said.
The five-year-old also holds a feature nomination for the Arrowfield Stud Plate (Gr.1, 1600m) on the second day of the Hastings Spring Carnival, but after a long and successful campaign Forsman is carefully selecting the best route for his in-form charge.
“The Hastings carnival is probably as long as his preparation wants to go on, so we’ll have to decide whether we maybe give him a short let-up and try to get to something like that,” he said.
The Cambridge stable will be well represented on Wednesday at their local synthetic meeting, with polytrack specialist Medina joined by lightly-tried three-year-old filly Satin Doll.
Medina displayed her best run of form late in her three-year-old season, producing two consecutive victories on the Cambridge Synthetic track in July and she will contest the Richard Bright Memorial Cup 1550 this week.
The American Pharoah mare will be well-weighted in a strong field with 54kg under Warren Kennedy, who has started off the new season impressively, including riding four winners at the Te Rapa on Saturday.
“Medina’s in good form, she’s performed well on the poly the last couple of starts but as has the whole field, they’re all pretty much poly-track specialists so it’ll be a very competitive race,” Forsman said.
“That’s what happens when the stakes-money’s up, they’ve attracted a really good field.”
Satin Doll will have her second raceday start in the Pryde’s Easifeed 1300, with the daughter of Dissident having produced a third placing at her first start earlier in the year.
“She’s coming up well. I am happy with her apart from the awkward draw (9).
“She’s trialled well on the polytrack before so that’s probably why we’re quite keen to give her her first run this prep on there, and we’ll progress from there.”
Forsman had also nominated Almanzor debutante Roadcone for the race but has elected to give the three-year-old his first start the following Saturday back at Te Rapa.
Later in the week, Forsman will likely have Trans-Tasman stakes performer White Noise resuming at Ruakaka on Saturday in the open handicap 1400m event.
The El Roca five-year-old produced a dominant victory last preparation in the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) after an Australian stakes-placing in the Listed Sale Cup (1600m) last November and holds nominations for all three of the Hastings Triple Crown races.
“White Noise will probably kick off up there, and how he performs will dictate where we head with him in the next few weeks,” Forsman said.
Forsman also plans to send four-year-old Russian Satire to the Ruakaka meeting, with the daughter of Russian Revolution set to start in the Rating 65 1600m race.