Impendabelle (Impending) delivered exactly what was expected of her at Trentham where the highly regarded filly was untested to open her career in perfect style.
The Tony Pike-trained two-year-old had won her lead-up trial at Te Awamutu and carried that form over to race day with a 4-1/2 length victory over 900m on Sunday in the hands of Michael McNab.
“She is very smart and has impressed us all the way through and has really developed quite quickly since she first arrived in the stable,” Pike said.
Consideration had been given to kicking Impendabelle off closer to home the previous day before deciding on the Trentham option.
“We were thinking of running her at Te Rapa, but knew that was going to be a pretty hot race having seen a few of those runners,” Pike said.
“Often a trip away can help a two-year-old grow up mentally and obviously it was an easy, soft kill and she’ll take a lot of improvement from the experience.
“She will probably have 10 days in the paddock before we decide where to head next.”
A daughter of Impending, the chestnut was bred by Monovale Holdings and sold through Hallmark Stud’s draft at Karaka to Jim Bruford’s Brewers Bloodstock for $80,000.
Stablemate Val Di Zoldo’s (NZ) (War Decree) immediate future is also yet to be decided following her effort for fourth in the Gr.3 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa.
“It was just a shame she didn’t cop a barrier draw and if she had drawn a gate she would probably have run second or third,” Pike said.
“Obviously, she wouldn’t have beaten the winner (Legarto) and she has come back in great order. She is a really nice filly moving forward, I was rapt with her run.”
Val Di Zoldo is nominated for both the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton next month.
“We will have a discussion with the ownership group in the next 48 hours and make a call from there about that, but personally I think she won’t go although she has pulled up extremely well,” Pike said.
“There are a lot of nice races coming up over the Christmas and New Year period for a filly like her.
“At the end of the day, if she does head south she’s probably not going to beat Legarto, but she is probably a top three chance with a decent barrier.”
That healthy respect for the undefeated Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) has brought the 2000 Guineas more into focus, should a southern venture be confirmed for Val Di Zoldo.
“That’s also a thought and looking that way as the fillies look significantly stronger than the colts, but running a filly against them is never easy, particularly with the travel involved,” Pike said.
“My personal opinion is to look after her a bit, I think she is a filly that can get to a quite a good level as we head into the summer and autumn months.”
Meanwhile, Rapid Falls (NZ) (Sacred Falls) will run at Awapuni this Saturday in the Listed Mode Technology Feilding Gold Cup (2100m).
“That’s the only race for her as a lead-up to the Counties Cup (Gr.3, 2100m) and hopefully the weather plays its part,” said Pike, who shares in the ownership of the Sacred Falls mare.
She was unplaced at Te Rapa when opening her campaign before she ran fifth in the Listed Staphanos Classic (1950m).
“She is coming up really well and is in for a good season. I thought her run at Rotorua second-up was great, she probably had to take off a bit early and a bit wide,” Pike said. “She just peaked on her run and that was understandable under the circumstances.”
