Wexford Stables’ long-held plan for an all-out assault on The NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie has come to fruition, with a quartet of in-form contenders to do battle on Saturday.
Trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will be represented by Checkmate, Sought After, Sethito and Hankee Alpha in the inaugural running of the $3.5 million Champions’ Day feature.
“It’s certainly been a massive team effort and at the beginning of the season we had a number of three-year-olds that were genetically bred to run only a mile,” Scott said.
“With that in mind, we aimed these horses at this race and while you can always make these plans, they don’t always work out quite as well as hoped, but all four of them have had pretty seamless preparations.
“They have all been racing well and there are good and genuine reasons why they should perform well and we’re looking forward to it.”
When pressed with the obvious question of which may be the stable’s best hope, Scott said it was extremely difficult to split them.
“That’s an honest answer too, we genuinely think all four have got strong claims,” he said.
“Sought After goes well fresh and while he had a wee setback with a temp, his best runs have been in a fresh state.
“We’ve managed to get the work into him, and he will strip a very fit horse at the weekend.
“He knows his way around Ellerslie, his form is strong and his sectionals have been very good so if he brings those on Saturday, he’s certainly going to be in it.”
Sought After hasn’t raced since he won on the course in January, while Sethito was a last-start winner of the Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) with Checkmate a fast closing fourth ahead of Hankee Alpha.
“Sethito has the form on the board and is such a genuine racehorse while Checkmate is another familiar with Ellerslie and is so consistent and always runs a good race,” Scott said.
“We think Hankee Alpha has improved a lot since the Uncle Remus and if she gets a good, clear run at them, then she’ll also go well.”
Fellow three-year-old Tristar is third on the ballot for the Kiwi and looms as a strong hope in the Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy (1500m).
“She has taken good last start benefit from the Uncle Remus where she had absolutely no luck and Craig (Grylls) got off and swore she certainly been in the placings had she had good fortune,” Scott said.
“She has trained on well, she’s got a good gate and looks well placed.”
Meanwhile, Kelly Coe has made all the right moves ahead of the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).
She won the Group 3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) three runs back before midfield finishes in the Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) and Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m).
“Not all went her way when she tripped out of the barrier at Wellington and then raced quite prominently and got collared late,” Scott said.
“We might have ridden her a bit upside down in her next race around Ellerslie when close to the speed. She’ll strip a fit mare and the race looks like it will be run at a genuine clip, we believe she can be competitive.”
Horse racing news
