A stylish come-from-behind win in Saturday’s $50,000 Courtesy Ford Redcraze Bowl (1400m) at Trentham has put talented mare Faraglioni firmly on track for a black-type mission in the north later this month.
The El Roca mare made good progress through the grades last season with three wins, and her five-year-old preparation had kicked off with promising placings behind Express Yourself at Awapuni and Churchillian at Hastings in her first two appearances.
Faraglioni stepped up into open class at Trentham on Saturday and was sent out as a second favourite, and she rose to the occasion with an impressive performance.
Patiently ridden by Lisa Allpress, Faraglioni dropped out to second-last as Deerfield and Tavis Court surged forward and put plenty of speed into the early stages of the race.
The field bunched up approaching the home turn, but Allpress waited until she was well into the straight before angling Faraglioni to the outside and pushing the button.
Faraglioni quickened brilliantly from the 350m mark, storming home out wide on the track and going straight past the front-running Durham Lad.
By the time she reached the finish line, Faraglioni had opened up a winning margin of a length and three-quarters over Durham Lad, with Deerfield holding on bravely for third.
The Redcraze Bowl was the fifth win of an 18-start career for Faraglioni, who has recorded another six placings and earned more than $122,000 for a big group of owners. All of her wins have come over the 1400m distance of Saturday’s race.
Trainer and part-owner Josh Shaw is working backwards from the $225,000 Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes over the same distance at Pukekohe on November 25.
“That was a very impressive performance today,” the Levin horseman said.
“I was wanting to get her down in the weights a little bit, and it was good to see what she can do with a bit less weight on her back. I think she’s a pretty good horse, and she showed that today.
“The target race is in a few weeks’ time at Pukekohe. I’ll see how she comes through that, but I might pull up stumps for this campaign after that race and then concentrate on the autumn. Once the tracks get a bit harder, she does take a little bit more time to come through her runs.”
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