One Bold Cat is expected to be a far more competitive force when he takes aim at the feature event on Saturday’s Trentham card.
The talented and lightly tried five-year-old will make the second appearance of his spring campaign in the Gr.3 Gee & Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m).
One Bold Cat has won five of his nine starts from Robbie Patterson’s New Plymouth stable and has taken significant benefit from his resuming run at Te Rapa where he was unplaced over 1400m.
“He has definitely come on and it was obviously a distance short of his best,” Patterson said.
“He still ran the quickest last couple of 100 metres in that race, he wound up late and he’s had a jump-out since and went well.
“It should be onwards and upwards with him. He’s quite a laid-back horse and has got plenty of ability.”
One Bold Cat holds a nomination for the Gr.3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) and his performance at Trentham will determine whether he ventures south.
“We’ll know a lot more after Saturday and even if he won, he would still get in well at the weights for Riccarton. It’s a decision we’ll make after the weekend,” Patterson said.
Stablemate Times Up will return to action in the Happy 60th Sharon Hardy Handicap (1200m) and is in good shape following a runner-up finish in an open 1000m trial at Foxton earlier this month.
“He’s a really good type and went off at the end of his last campaign, but he trialled up nicely and I think he’s going to be a reasonable chance,” Patterson said.
He will also be represented by Margherita Veloce and Winkle Bay in the intowin.co.nz Join A Syndicate (1400m).
“They are both nice horses, but they will probably both need the runs,” Patterson said.
His forces will be split on Saturday between Trentham and Te Rapa where his team includes major cups’ prospects Za’faran and Another Bella.
The former will step out in the CK Treework Handicap (2400m) while Another Bella opens her preparation in the Protek Coatings Handicap (1600m).
Za’faran holds an entry for the Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) and was a last-start sixth in the Hawera Cup (2100m).
“She needed the run the other day after she had a week off following her third in the Waverley Cup (2200m),” Patterson said.
“She’s improved and is getting up to a suitable trip and she likes Te Rapa. Saturday will tell us whether we go south for the New Zealand Cup.”
Another Bella is a promising middle-distance mare who hasn’t been seen since she won over 2200m at Trentham in January.
“She is a very good staying mare and is getting ready for the Waikato Cup (Gr.3, 2400m) so she’s another improver,” Patterson said.
Barnmates Puntura and Mary Louise will clash in the Bill Moreland Memorial (1400m) with the former getting the nod as the stable’s best winning chance.
“Puntura only had a few weeks off after Australia and he has trialled really well, Mary Louise will get up over a trip fairly quickly after this, but she could go a cheeky race,” Patterson said.
“The blinkers go on her and I would be disappointed if they both didn’t run very well.”