The Chris Gibbs-trained Malfy Rosa (NZ) (Burgundy) has acquitted herself well against the better staying three-year-olds in recent starts to put herself in the mix for the Queensland winter carnival.
The daughter of Burgundy can press her claims for an offshore trip on her home track at Ruakaka on Wednesday with another bold showing, this time against older opposition, in The Lion Red Northland Cup (2100m).
Trained by Chris Gibbs, Malfy Rosa broke her maiden over ground at Te Rapa in January and then posted consecutive fourths in the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m), the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and the Gr.3 Championship Stakes (2100m).
“She’s been running behind some good ones and I’m happy enough with her, but the draw (16) does make it a little bit difficult,” Gibbs said.
“I have nominated her for Brisbane so we’ll see how she goes here first. I think she has proven she is good enough to have a go.
“If we can get a little bit more money in the kitty it would be good, there’s not a great deal of other options for staying horses.”
Malfy Rosa has been entered in the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m), the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) and the Gr.2 Brisbane Cup (3200m).
“They are only three once and this is her last opportunity to have a crack. The Oaks is 2200m and the Derby is 2400m so I would lean more toward the mile and a-half,” Gibbs said.
“She is a half-sister to John Sargent’s Gin Martini who is a dead-set stayer so the breeding is there and that’s why I threw a cheeky nomination in for the Brisbane Cup.”
Gibbs also has Cruisy Lass (NZ) (Super Easy) in the Homestead Sports Bar & Reuben Lewis Memorial (1400m) on Wednesday and stable newcomer Pippy (NZ) (Tivaci) in the Mountfield Quarry Maiden (1200m).
Cruisy Lass resumed from a break over 1200m on the track earlier this month and finished a sound fourth.
“If anything, she is probably looking for a mile but we’ve had a bit of rain and maybe enough to make it a little bit longer than 1400m and it seemed crazy to miss a run on her home track,” Gibbs said.
Pippy is more of a wait and see proposition after five unplaced runs before joining Gibbs’ team.
“I don’t know too much about her, she’s having her first start for me so it’s a bit of a throw at the stumps,” he said.
“Maybe a change of environment might spark her up, we’ll just wait and see how she goes.”
