Matamata mare Tenfoot Tall will bid to add another cup to her owners’ mantle when she heads south to Taupo on Friday to contest the Poverty Bay Cup (2600m).

She claimed her first trophy in the Kiwifruit Cup (2100m) at Tauranga in June, and has pleased in her subsequent outings, including a runner-up effort over a mile at Hastings last month.

“She went really well at Hastings,” trainer Vicki Prendergast said. “It is a shame that she missed. A bit more luck and she would have got there.”

Luck also eluded her when finishing sixth over 2000m at Matamata last Saturday, but Prendergast said she has come through the race well and is in fine fettle ahead of Friday’s test. 

“She is doing really well, she seems to have bounced back from Saturday really quickly, so we are pretty happy with her,” Prendergast said.

“She is untested over that distance, but I have always been pretty confident that she can stay. She is coming to the end of her campaign now, so I don’t think it will be an issue.”

Leading jockey Michael McNab has elected to remain on Tenfoot Tall and Prendergast said she has received plenty of positive feedback from the northern hoop.

“He (McNab) really likes her and said she has got an incredible turn of foot,” Prendergast said. “She just had no luck on Saturday and had a very unfortunate run.”

Prendergast said she may extend Tenfoot Tall’s campaign after receiving feedback from McNab.

“McNab seems to think that the improving ground is not going to be an issue for her,” she said. “We initially thought she was just a winter horse, but he said she has got great turn of foot on the better ground, so we just might try her over a couple of better tracks. There won’t be much left in her, a couple of more starts maybe.”

Tenfoot Tall is currently a $3.40 equal favourite for the Poverty Bay Cup, alongside the Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray-trained Gate Crashers.

Meanwhile, Prendergast will be represented at Arawa Park on Sunday by Maximus in the Green Light Insurance Brokers 1400 and Sonoran in the Lance Lawson 1950.

Four-year-old gelding Maximus ran fourth on debut over 1400m at Matamata in June and will be fresh-up on Sunday after winning his 1000m trial at Avondale last month.

“I am really happy with Maximus, he is a nice, young horse,” Prendergast said. “I would be disappointed if he didn’t go really well.”

Five-year-old gelding Sonoran placed over a mile when first-up at Te Rapa last month, and Prendergast expects another bold showing this weekend.

“He is very well and is ready for a start over distance,” she said. “I am quite confident with him as well.”