Black-type performer Flower Of Wanaka will depart from Chrissy Bambry’s stable early in the new year, but the Foxton trainer is aiming high during her final few weeks with the Burgundy mare.
Flower Of Wanaka is in foal, having been covered by Satono Aladdin since her last-start third placing in the Group 3 Thompson Handicap at Trentham on October 21. The five-year-old will return to the racetrack on Saturday at Wanganui.
“She’s in foal now, so we’ll be able to keep racing her for those 120 days,” Bambry said. “We’re going to try to see if we can pick up a bit more black type with her during that last period of her racing career.
“She went to the stallion after the Thompson Handicap and ended up being away for only a week, so she didn’t lose very much of her fitness in that time. I even thought about running her in the Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.2, 1400m) at Pukekohe this weekend, but I just felt it would suit her better to ease back into things over the 1340m at Wanganui instead.
“Hopefully she can continue her good form with another competitive run on Saturday, and then we might think about the TAB Classic (Group 1, 1600m) at Trentham in a couple of weeks’ time.”
Bred and raced by Dr Gene Tsoi, Flower Of Wanaka has had 22 starts for two wins and eight placings. She claimed a valuable Listed victory in the Tauranga Classic (1400m) in early July, and she has since recorded two second placings, a third in the Thompson Handicap and a fourth in the Group 3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m).
Flower Of Wanaka will be ridden in Saturday’s $50,000 open sprint by Lily Sutherland, whose 2kg claim reduces her weight to just 52kg. Flower Of Wanaka is joined in the line-up by veteran stablemate Deerfield, who was a last-start third placegetter in an open 1400m race at Trentham and will be ridden by Leah Hemi.
Meanwhile, Bambry reported that classy three-year-old filly Chantilly Lace had come through Saturday’s Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in good order. The daughter of U S Navy Flag finished 11th in the classic, after a strong run of spring form that saw her win the Listed Wanganui Guineas (1200m) and finish second in the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and fourth in the Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m).
“She’d just had a little bit of a hiccup a few weeks out from the 1000 Guineas, and that interruption to her build-up probably told late in the race,” Bambry said. “She seems to have pulled up really well. She’s bucking around. We’ll give some thought to what we do with her next, but as long as she continues to show us that she’s come through Riccarton well, it’s likely that we’ll keep her in work.”
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