Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will present two prominent three-year-olds among their strong team of runners at Te Rapa on Saturday.
The Matamata training partnership have last-start winner Silver Javelin and stablemate Winexpress contesting the Irwins Truck and Bus 3YO (1200m), both of which will reap the benefits of apprentice claims in the heavy ground conditions.
A daughter of Reliable Man, Silver Javelin will once again pair with apprentice jockey Maza Hashizume, who guided the filly to her maiden victory in her second raceday appearance, striding away from the field over the same distance at Matamata last month.
“We think she’s gone the right way since she’s won, and the way she did win gave us hope she’ll handle the step-up in class,” Scott said.
“It’s quite a strong field there, so we’re hopeful she’ll take the next step, she looks a progressive filly that could excel over the winter months.”
Scott also rates the chances of Winexpress in the small but competitive race, with the Shamexpress gelding coming off a summer break.
“He brings strong form lines through his two-year-old season, and he’s done a good piece of work to prepare him for tomorrow,” Scott said.
“He’s raced well at Te Rapa in the past and raced well fresh, so we come with high hopes he’ll run a good race.”
The Wexford contingent is also represented by Magic Ace and Strathtay in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Maiden Mile (1600m), with Scott tipping Iffraaj four-year-old Magic Ace after two placings in recent performances.
“He’s got race-day fitness and good form. He’s knocking on the door and a win is close, and his personal best race was at Te Rapa,” he said.
Another last-start winner, Canny Man will switch back to the turf following his victory on the Cambridge Synthetic under apprentice Ace Lawson-Carroll, who gives the Preferment gelding a three-kilogram weight relief in the J F Grylls Memorial Classic Rating 75 (1400m).
“We think he’s seen good improvement since his last start win, he’s won two at Te Rapa in the past over that distance so we’re confident he’s going to put in a strong performance there,” Scott said.
Completing the stable runners on Saturday is Sonofabutcher and Te Atatu Memphis in the OTL Group LTD Rating 65 (2100m), with Scott believing the former will likely benefit from the step-up in distance.
“With the claim, Te Atatu Memphis will come into the race too, he’s had a bit of a gap between runs and freshened a bit, he may improve a touch with tomorrow’s run but he’s super consistent and always runs well,” he said.
Four-kilo claiming apprentice Triston Moodley will pair with the son of Atlante, while Lawson-Carroll will partner with several of the stable runners tomorrow, Scott repaying the hard work of the 18-year-old.
“He’s a promising young rider, he comes down and rides work for us and puts the hard yards in, so whoever wants to help us, we want to help them,” Scott said.
“He’s got a lovely quiet, calm demeanour on a horse, we find they really relax for him so he’s certainly a young chap on the way up.