Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will take a trio of three-year-olds to Trentham on Saturday in search of a second straight win in the Gr.2 IRT Wellington Guineas (1400m).
The Matamata trainers won the race by a wide margin last year with Grail Seeker, who has gone on to add the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) and Telegraph (1200m) as a four-year-old this season.
This year’s Wexford Stables contingent is made up of Sethito, Cheaha and Wounder.
Sethito finished sixth in the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie two weeks ago. She was blocked for the first half of the home straight, but produced a strong finish when she found clear air in the final 200m. She crossed the finish line 3.4 lengths behind the winner Damask Rose.
A well-related daughter of Super Seth and multiple Group One winner Suavito, Sethito has won three of her seven starts including this season’s Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) and Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m). She will shoot for a third stakes win over that same distance on Saturday.
“Sethito came through her very good run in the Kiwi well,” Scott said. “We just thought this looked like another suitable opportunity for her to race for some more black type. She galloped very nicely this week and we see this as being probably her pet distance. Vinnie Colgan will ride her and she should be a good chance.”
Sethito has drawn the second-from-outside gate and is rated a $5.50 second favourite by the TAB. Last-start winner Tardelli heads the market at $3.70.
O’Sullivan and Scott’s other runners are the $12 chance Cheaha and $23 shot Wounder.
Cheaha made a big impression with a debut victory at Rotorua in December, then only battled home in fifth in his first try at 1400m at Matamata. He dropped back in trip and produced a barnstorming finish from second-last to run third in the Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie in January.
“Cheaha’s best form has been over 1200m, so going up to 1400m is a test for him,” Scott said. “But he trialled nicely last week and had a good hitout on Tuesday. We believe he’s going very well.”
Wounder showed early promise with a win and two fourths from her first three starts, then stepped up to 1800m and finished sixth in last month’s Listed Oaks Prelude.
“Some of Wounder’s form has been very strong coming through the grades,” Scott said. “We got her up to 1800m last time and she just didn’t look quite as strong in the finish. Bringing her back in trip, we expect an improved performance.”
O’Sullivan and Scott’s other runners at Trentham on Saturday are Kelly Coe in the Gr.3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes (1600m) and Lux Libertas in the Listed Bill Tito Book Repair Specialist Lightning Handicap (1200m).
Kelly Coe is stepping down from the elite level, having finished eighth and only three lengths from the winner Provence in the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie on March 8.
“Kelly Coe took on Group One company at Ellerslie last time and didn’t finish far away at all, and she didn’t have everything go her way in the running either,” Scott said. “Switching back left-handed suits her, most of her racing has been that way around. She’s also won at Trentham previously, and we think this looks a very suitable race to target with her.”
Lux Libertas made rapid progress through the grades between July and November last year, when an eight-race sequence produced five wins and a second in the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m).
The four-year-old Almanzor mare was last seen in the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m) at Matamata on February 15, where she ran eighth behind Legarto after a three-wide run.
“She’s had a nice little freshen up since the Lisa Chittick a few weeks ago,” Scott said.
“It’s a step down in distance, but it’s a bit more of a testing 1200m there at Trentham and we wouldn’t be surprised at all if she was very competitive on the fresh side.”
