Town Cryer kicked off a career-best season with an upset victory in last year’s Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), and she will return among the favourites to go back-to-back on Saturday at Hawera.
12 months ago, star mare Prowess entered the race and was backed into heavy favouritism, but the soft track conditions played into the hands of her race-rival, who collected the victory with plenty of authority.
Having previously won the Listed ANZAC Mile (1600m), the win was certainly no fluke, and the daughter of Tavistock continued to prove herself further into the season when winning the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) and placing in the Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) and the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).
Roydon Bergerson, who trains Town Cryer out of Awapuni, had hoped to pick up where she left off in elite company with the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) last month, but was happy to wait for the mare to indicate she was ready to head back to the races.
“We were hoping to get to Hawke’s Bay, but we got held up because I just wasn’t 100 percent happy with her heading into a big race,” he said.
“I really wanted to kick off there and go into the Arrowfield (Gr.1, 1600m), but it just didn’t work out.
“She was battling with her coat for a while, but since she’s been losing that, she’s stepped up a gear.
“I was happy with her trial the other day, she did everything we asked of her and aimed to keep her a bit fresh.
“She’s a horse that will tell you when she’s ready, and she just wasn’t quite there a few weeks ago. That’s why we are kicking off here.”
Bergerson had been quietly optimistic before last year’s contest and maintains that same faith in his charge, with barrier four and the booking of jockey Kelly Myers only aiding her chances.
“We were pretty confident last year and we were chasing one of the best horses in New Zealand, but the wet track held the other mare up a bit and enhanced our chances,” he said.
“I’m pretty happy going into the race this time, she’s got a good draw and a good jockey.”
Beyond the fillies’ and mares’ feature, Bergerson is eyeing the Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m) at Trentham in December, a race Town Cryer finished seventh in last season, albeit after working to get on the pace in the false start.
“It’s hard to get a lead-up as she’ll get thumped in the weights in handicaps, but I’ll be trying to get her to the TAB Classic,” Bergerson said.
“We’ve just got to try to work a path to get her there, the programming is a bit hard at the moment and finding races is proving very difficult, also for the open sprinters.”
Consistent maidener Wonderboy will also represent the stable at Hawera, aiming to improve off a last-start second in the MJ Concept Construction Ltd Maiden (1600m).
“I think he’s probably a better grass horse than the synthetic,” Bergerson said.
“He went alright there (Awapuni Synthetic), he was probably asked to do a bit in the running after being slow away from the gates. He’s been pretty hard on the nickel, looped the field and stuck to his task pretty well.
“I think up to the mile on a reasonable track, he should be alright.”