Guy Lowry will be represented by a quartet of black-type contenders on Saturday with two of them bidding to add to his collection of titles in Trentham’s most prestigious short course event.
The Hastings trainer has twice tasted success the Group 1 Telegraph (1200m) and his hopes of a third crown rest with the in-form Can I Get An Amen and the enigmatic Shezzacatch.
He also has the progressive Podium in the Group 3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) and stylish debut winner Zambezi Khan in the Listed IRT Wellesley Stakes (1100m).
Lowry first won the Telegraph in 2014 with Irish Fling and two years later with $80 shot Adventador, both victories celebrated with former training partner Grant Cullen.
“I wouldn’t think Can I Get An Amen would be a surprise. She ran fourth last year and got a little bit lost, with any sort of luck she could have run third,” he said.
Can I Get An Amen, who won the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) on the course in the autumn, was successful for the fifth time in her career at her most recent appearance at Otaki.
“She was good last time out and has trained on well, she’s come right at the right time,” Lowry said.
Kate Hercock will again partner the Hallowed Crown mare while Savabeel’s daughter Shezzacatch will be ridden by Wiremu Pinn and both carry the Milan Park silks of breeder and part-owner Tony Rider.
Shezzacatch hasn’t been the easiest to deal with and Lowry has mixed up her training regime in a bid to bring out the best in the five-year-old.
“We have schooled her all week and hope she does everything right. With lots of pace on in a different class of field it may just play in her favour,” he said.
“Two starts ago, she didn’t get on the bit and then last start she never stopped pulling from the time they jumped.
“She works like a Group horse, but she has certainly been very frustrating.”
The Waikato Stud-owned Podium has won three of her five starts and was a last-start third over 1400m on her home track. She will appreciate a step up in trip on Saturday in Hercock’s hands.
“She’s been looking for a mile for a while now, it was a nice run at Hastings and she should be very competitive,” Lowry said.
“She’s nominated for the Thorndon Mile (Group 1, 1600m), but she’d have to win the Anniversary to back up.”
Zambezi Khan won at her only trial outing at Foxton in December before she made the perfect start to her career with victory at Tauherenikau earlier this month and Hercock will again guide her fortunes in the Wellesley.
“She was really good at the trials and really good first time out,” Lowry said.
“She’s a lovely big, scopey mare with a good staying pedigree, but she has showed enough to have a crack at this one.”
By Mongolian Khan, Zambezi Khan is out of the winning Makfi mare Zafiki and was purchased as a yearling by part-owner Mark Evans for $5000 off the Gavelhouse platform.
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