Talented miler Lingjun Xiongfeng will start his six-year-old season in Monday’s Poverty Bay Turf Club Cup (1400m) at Taupo, which trainer Pam Gerard hopes will provide a rating boost in the lead-up to feature summer targets.
Lingjun Xiongfeng made a big impression around this time last year with barnstorming last-to-first performances at Pukekohe on December 9 and Te Rapa two weeks later. In the latter, the grey romped home by five and a half lengths against an open-class field that included Group One winner Asterix.
Gerard stepped Lingjun Xiongfeng up in class from there, finishing 10th in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m), sixth in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m), third in an open sprint at Ellerslie, fourth in the inaugural $350,000 Rangitoto Classic (1500m), ninth in the Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2100m) and 13th in the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m).
Lingjun Xiongfeng has been off the raceday scene since the Easter in April, but trialled at Taupo on November 26.
“I’ve been very happy with the way he’s come up in this preparation,” Gerard said. “He had that trial at Taupo last month, just for a quiet day out.
“We were hoping to get him into the J Swap Sprint (Gr.3, 1400m) first-up, but he didn’t end up making the field. It’s been a bit of a challenge finding a suitable race for him, but we’ll kick him off at Taupo and then take it from there.
“He’s very forward. Taupo might be a bit of a tricky track for him, because he’s quite a long-striding horse who’s not ideally suited to those tight corners. But I couldn’t be happier with his condition.”
Lingjun Xiongfeng holds a nomination for the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham on January 11, and Gerard is keen to make that trip if his first-up performance justifies it.
“If he happened to be impressive at Taupo, you might see him head to Wellington,” she said. “This campaign is going to be all about targeting some of those nicer miles, and potentially a bit further than that later on as well.
“It’s just difficult with his rating at the moment. He’s right down at the bottom of the open handicaps and often ends up on the ballot, while he gets too much weight in Rating 75 grade. So it’s not easy, but hopefully he can put some good performances on the board this time in and get that rating up a bit higher.”
Lingjun Xiongfeng will be the only runner at Taupo for Gerard, but the Matamata trainer is looking forward to a talented two-pronged team at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
Last-start winner Romanoff will test his TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) credentials when he takes on a quality field of juveniles in the Gr.2 Skycity Eclipse Stakes (1200m).
“Romanoff is a pretty talented individual,” Gerard said. “He’s got a mind of his own, as we saw when he ran out at Otaki last time, but he still got the win.
“I’ve been happy with his work since then. He seems to have settled down, and that trip to Otaki might have given him a bit more confidence.
“He’s drawn nicely in gate two for the Eclipse. We’ll cross our fingers that he runs a bit straighter this time, and I’m sure he’ll be a good chance if he does.
“It’s an opportunity to give him a look around Ellerslie and see how he stacks up ahead of the Karaka Millions.”
Talented sprinter Shoes will line up in the TAB (1200m). The speedy daughter of Derryn won three races in a row at Ruakaka, Te Rapa and Tauranga, then was beaten by 2.9 lengths by Luberon when seventh in a star-studded edition of the Gr.3 Counties Bowl (1100m).
“It was a super run in that strong race at Counties last start,” Gerard said. “She’s a very talented mare who will get her black type in time.
“Her ideal distance is probably 1100m, so stretching out over 1200m with that uphill run around Ellerslie might test her a little bit. But she’s drawn well and we’ll take a bit of weight off with Joe Nishizuka’s claim”.
