Local trainers Kenny Rae and Krystal Williams unveiled an exciting new talent at the last Ruakaka meeting three weeks ago, and they are hoping for a repeat result over the same course and distance on Saturday.
Bred and raced by Totara Park Stud in partnership with Little Avondale, Dan Vegas is a well-related son of Per Incanto and Miss Bluebell. That makes him a brother to stakes performers Gringotts and Millefiori, while Miss Bluebell’s dam Operavega is a half-sister to Vegas Showgirl, the dam of the legendary Winx.
Dan Vegas lived up to those bloodlines with a bold debut performance at Ruakaka on June 8, leading all the way and quickening smartly in the straight to score by a length and a half.
“That was a very good performance, and I think he’s improved since then as well,” Rae said. “He’s always shown us a wee bit. He’s always been able to run. What’s helping him now is that he’s starting to have a much better temperament as well. He’s doing very well and is still on the up. We’re hoping to see him run another good race on Saturday.
“I entered him for the three-year-old race and the Rating 65 on Saturday, but he’ll stick to his own age. He’d have to carry too much weight against the older horses.”
Dan Vegas is a notable absentee from the dozens of nominations for the $60,000 ITM/Gib Northern Winter Championship Finals that will be held at Ruakaka on July 13.
“We didn’t enter him for that three-year-old final and we probably won’t do a lot more with him in this preparation,” Rae said. “He’s been in work a while and has done well to get to where he has. Even if he doesn’t perform this weekend, we can be pretty pleased with what he’s achieved, and I think he’s got a bright future.”
Stablemate Tide And Time does hold a nomination for next month’s 3YO Final (1600m). The daughter of Time Test made up late ground for an eye-catching fourth behind Dan Vegas three weeks ago.
“She drew badly for that last race and has got another wide gate (13) this time,” Rae said. “She’s been working and eating well and has done everything right, but I think she’ll be better suited going up to 1600m in the next meeting.”
Saturday’s Ruakaka NZ’s Best Bet in Winter 2YO (1100m) features a close relative to Dan Vegas. The two-year-old filly Vegas Queen – also bred and part-owned by Totara Park Stud’s Dirk and Nicki Oberholster – is by Proisir out of Miss Bluebell’s half-sister Miss Vegas.
Vegas Queen made her debut with a sixth behind Whiskey ‘N Roses on her home track three weeks ago.
“She’s a lovely filly that will go places, and she has enough class to be competitive on Saturday,” Rae said. “But she’s a pretty big filly. I said to Dirk, ‘We both want her to win this week, but realistically she’s not a two-year-old type.’ We might have to take our time with her a little bit.”
Proven black-type performer Illicit Dreams will contest Saturday’s Northpine 25 Years (1200m), having resumed with an eye-catching second over 1100m on June 8, while Heart Of Alladin and Mischief Managed will attempt to repeat their last-start quinella when they clash again in the Northern Winter Championships (1600m).
“It was a lovely first-up run by Illicit Dreams,” Rae said. “She always goes well in her first couple.
“We had a claimer (Ace Lawson-Carroll) on her last time, and he rode her well, but the owners wanted to switch to a senior rider this time around (Jasmine Fawcett).
“I can’t fault Illicit Dreams, Heart of Alladin or Mischief Managed. They all galloped very well yesterday morning. We have a new jockey on Mischief Managed with Michael McNab not riding, but Warren Kennedy’s taking over so we don’t lose anything there.
“Heart of Alladin and Mischief Managed should both be competitive in that race. I’d like to get them up to 2100m, but the only option on Saturday is going up out of their grade. They’d pick up too many ratings points if they performed well there. So we’ll just stick to the mile for now. As Bart Cummings said, patience is the cheapest thing in racing and the thing that people use the least, and I’m starting to figure that out myself.”
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