Time has been called on the racing career of Savabeel’s Group-winning daughter Mazzolino.
The Waikato Stud-bred and owned mare was prepared at Cambridge by Stephen Marsh and was successful on three occasions, including the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) and placed a further five times at stakes level.
In foal to Super Seth, Mazzolino also ran fourth in this season’s Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) and signed off with a midfield finish in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) last weekend.
The four-year-old is a sister to the two-time Group One winner Atishu with their dam the No Excuse Needed mare Posy, a sister to Daffodil who won three times at the elite level in the farm’s colours.
“She has done a great job and did us proud, she’s going to be a very good addition to the Waikato Stud broodmare band,” Marsh said.
His association with the premier Matamata farm will continue at Taupo on Wednesday when Sweetpea will represent them in the trainer’s own race, the Marsh Racing Maiden (1200m).
Another daughter of Savabeel, the filly was light heartedly named after Marsh by stud principal Mark Chittick.
“That’s my nickname and Mark was being cheeky, I did laugh about it,” he said. “She did trial up really nicely at Taupo as well.”
She will be ridden by Courtney Barnes while Marsh will also be represented by Arrowette and Lerado in the Pak ‘N’ Save Taupo (1400m) and Billy Lincoln in the J Swap Maiden (1300m).
“Arrowette has finally drawn a gate (two) and she’s needed a couple of runs to get her up to full fitness and it looks a nice race for her,” he said.
“Lerado should run well, it’s been a little while between runs but I thought Arrowette should be able to put her hand up in that race.”
Warren Kennedy rides the Cambridge Stud-bred and raced Arrowette and Opie Bosson is booked for Lerado and Billy Lincoln.
“If Billy Lincoln had drawn a better barrier, I would have been more confident but all four are realistic chances,” Marsh said.
The stable will have black type contenders at Ellerslie on Saturday, including a strong hand in the Listed Shaw’s Wires Ropes Uncle Remus Stakes (1200m).
“We’ll have Merchant Queen, who ran second to Crocetti last time out, Moet Down who won very well last start and Tossuforit who has been going very well, so they are three live chances,” Marsh said.
Merchant Queen had won her first three starts before finishing runner-up in the Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) and Moet Down broke her maiden in style at Te Rapa last month.
Tossuforit was a game seventh in the Almanzor after racing wide without cover and had previously finished fourth in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m).