Saturday’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) at Te Rapa was an eagerly anticipated clash between a number of up-and-coming talents, but it turned into a tour de force by New Zealand’s most exciting three-year-old.
Warwick Farm trainer Clarry Conners breathed a sigh of relief after talented four-year-old Peace Officer proved too strong in the Midway Handicap (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday, providing jockey Aaron Bullock with a race-to-race double.
It was another bumper payday for the connections of former South Island galloper Palmetto who prevailed in a narrow-three-way finish in the A$1 million Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Fresh from Think About It’s victory in the A$20 million The Everest (1200m), Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride has earned a tilt at another lucrative feature when King Of The Castle prevailed in the Big Dance Wild Card (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
A supreme ride from jockey Blake Shinn aided smart three-year-old filly Coeur Volante to make it back-to-back stakes victories when running out a resounding winner of the Gr.2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Two weeks after a forgettable trip to Flemington, Group One-winning New Zealand mare Skew Wiff will have a second attempt at an Australian debut in Saturday’s Gr.2 Sharp EIT Tristarc Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
On the anniversary of the biggest win of his career so far, classy New Zealand-bred gelding Mr Maestro will race in black-type company on Caulfield Cup Day again in 2023 – this time in his first run back from an injury lay-off.
Te Rapa’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) has been a springboard to Group One glory for five recent winners of the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), and the connections of the undefeated Crocetti are hoping for more of the same.
Promising colt Monday Melody has pleased trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott in his build-up to the stiffest challenge of his brief career at Te Rapa on Saturday.
The progeny of Justify have shone this week in the tangerine silks of Te Akau Racing, and the good form continued with three-year-old Rule of Law producing his maiden victory at Tauranga on Wednesday.
The rescheduling of the Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1200m) to Te Rapa on Saturday has worked in favour of Johny Johny on two fronts.
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.
