Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) may not be the only New Zealand mare set to sizzle at Flemington this autumn with last year’s Australian Guineas winner Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) being aimed for a return to the track for the Gr.1 Australian Cup.
The four-year-old mare narrowly won an 1100-metre trial at Tauranga on Tuesday in her first public outing since her luckless Golden Eagle run in November and her trainer Ken Kelso later said he felt the mare was ready to put a good score on the board early in 2024.
He had two or three lucrative aims at home in mind for Legarto before a potential return to headquarters for a step-up to 2000 metres in the Australian Cup on March 30.
‘’She’s coming up good but while we’ll take it one race at a time, it would be lovely to get back to Flemington,’’ Kelso said.
‘’I’ve always thought that she would really enjoy going 2000 metres. She relaxes in her races and finishes them off. You never know until you try, but her pattern of racing says that trip would be right up her alley.’’
Legarto narrowly took out her trial on Tuesday when ridden up on the speed and Kelso said he liked what he saw ahead of her return to the races in less than two weeks.
‘’She trialled up really nice,’’ he said.
‘’She’ll run at Ellerslie on the 14th (January) just in an open handicap with a maximum topweight of 60 kilograms.
‘’The reason there is its two weeks out from the Karaka four-year-old race worth $1 million and also gives her a good look around the track as she’s never been to Ellerslie.
‘’We’ll go from there possibly to the Herbie Dyke, which is G1 2000-metre race at Te Rapa. Then, all going well, we’d like to think getting back to Flemington for the Australian Cup over the same trip.’’
The Golden Eagle was selected as Legarto’s major spring aim in Australia after connections decided against a Cox Plate tilt, but Kelso said the mare never got into the $15 million race at Rosehill after being slow out.
‘’She got no luck at the Golden Eagle,’’ he lamented.
‘’It was a non-event. She was slow away but her sectionals were second only to the winner (Obamburumai).
‘’I’m not saying she’s better left-handed, but she certainly wants a big, roomy track.’’
