John Blackadder will travel down to Phar Lap Raceway on Wednesday with the appeal of an Entain – NZB Insurance Pearl Series bonus for Yoshime.
Yoshime has produced a pair of strong runner-up finishes to Rubicon Reigns and subsequent Rating 65 winner Contemplation Bay in early March and looks a strong chance of breaking maiden status in the fillies and mares event.
“I gave her a couple of weeks off after her last race to give her a freshen-up, she had a pretty hard run and she’s progressed very well since then,” Blackadder said.
The Rangiora horseman nominated Yoshime for the enhanced Pearl Series this season, with a potential $26,000 winning bonus proving a strong case to head south with the four-year-old mare.
“She’s drawn barrier one which is great and having Warren Kennedy up as well. Hopefully she can sit up in behind the leaders, 1400m is probably more her go, but she’s nice and fresh so there’s no reason why she won’t get the 1200m at this stage,” he said.
“I think she’s going to be a really nice mare later on.”
Yoshime’s sire Echoes Of Heaven is based at Timaru nursery Clearview Park Stud, who will sponsor her stablemate In The Navy’s 1600m three-year-old contest earlier on the card.
“There’s two or three that have won a couple of races in there, and the rest are on pretty even key,” Blackadder said.
“He’s got three kilos off with Denby-Rose (Tait, apprentice jockey) which will help, he’s just taken a while to come into his racing really.”
Blackadder will also be represented by Aladdins Cave in the Equine Veterinary Services 2200m, while he is looking forward to heading to Wingatui on Sunday with Ardrossan filly Ledecky.
After starting her career with owner Clinton Isdale, the three-year-old joined Blackadder last month and was strong in third at Riverton at her first start for the stable.
“Ledecky will run in the maiden 1400m again, and I think she’ll be very competitive,” Blackadder said.
