Sassy Lass has been a rising star in the staying ranks throughout her four-year-old term and is on her way to a big dance through Saturday’s Listed Matamata Equine Veterinary Services Kaimai Stakes (2000m).
The daughter of Staphanos always looked to be a stayer in the making and once she got out to 2200m back in June she punished her rivals by an extending 10 lengths. Since then, she hasn’t looked back, winning three of her next four starts and placing in the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m) in December, with her most recent appearance a close-up fourth in the Listed Marton Cup (2200m).
After a freshen-up, co-trainer Andrew Scott couldn’t be happier with how Sassy Lass is tracking ahead of Saturday’s assignment.
“She’s flying, we’ve given her a quick freshen since early January and she’s put on 12 kilos in bodyweight and feeling very well,” he said.
“She’ll sprint well fresh on Saturday over the 2000m, she’s so consistent and always runs a good race. We’re expecting nothing less on the weekend.
“She’s on track to trial for the Auckland Cup (Gr.2, 3200m), so hopefully she puts in a performance that warrants cracking on to the big day. This will be enough for her until then, she’s got three weeks between and doesn’t take a lot of racing to keep fit.
“She’ll be spot on.”
Scott and training partner Lance O’Sullivan have a big team engaged for their local feature meeting, including a trio of mares contesting the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m). The race will be run for the first time at stakes level this season, with Karman Line victorious in last year’s edition and she is searching for a return to that form on Saturday.
“She won this race last year, but it is a stronger line-up this time,” Scott said. “She seems to hit form at this time of the year through to the autumn.
“Her form has been a little below what we’d hoped over the summer months, but off the way she worked on Tuesday morning, she’ll bounce back. She’s a very capable mare and it wouldn’t surprise us if she figured right in the finish on Saturday.
“On her day, she’s highly talented.”
Joining the Myboycharlie mare will be Kelly Coe and Lux Libertas, the latter returning from a break after a coming-of-age campaign through the spring, where she finished second to La Crique in the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m).
“She didn’t have much luck down at Wellington after a really good spring campaign, so she went home for a little break,” Scott said. “She’s working in really well and on her home track over 1400m is where she really performs.
“She’s a talented mare and will put in a strong performance in a good field.
“Kelly Coe never got comfortable going right-handed last time, so we’re dropping her back in distance and going back left-handed. We do struggle to keep her fit as an older mare, so she’s been swimming in the afternoon just to try to stimulate her fitness.
“She’s won in Group company at this distance, so I’m hoping we can bounce her back into form because she was just a little bit below where we thought she would be last start.”
On the undercard, exciting filly Cypher will aim to kick-off the meeting on a high note in the Ancroft Developments (1400m) after an eye-catching maiden success at Pukekohe.
“We’re really hoping she can start the day strongly for the team, she’s got a good draw and blinkers on for the first time,” Scott said. “Craig (Grylls) got off her and said she lacked a wee bit of confidence there last start.
“We think she’s worked in really well and improved off that, on her home track going left-handed she should really hit the line well.
“She’s probably our best winning chance.”
In the last (Westbury Stud 1600), Wexford will aim to replicate that result with a pair of top chances, Mosinvader and Desert Mystic.
Desert Mystic is coming off a pair of sharp Rating 65 victories, while Mosinvader ran sensational splits to finish third behind Orchestral in the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) on Karaka Millions Night.
“We were very proud of him (Mosinvader), he went in there under the radar that night and we couldn’t have asked any more of him,” Scott said.
“He’s dropping back to a grade race and the claim will help him. We think he’s a lovely horse that will get to open grade in the near future, so hopefully, he’s one step closer after the weekend.
“If he can back up his performance from Karaka Millions Night, he’ll be very competitive.
“But Desert Mystic’s confidence is high and he gets in well at the weights, so he should run very well too. It’s hard to split the pair of them so hopefully we can end the day strongly as well.”
