Robbie Patterson will utilise the Taranaki and Te Rapa meetings largely as stepping stones for his talented contingent, which includes the Group 1-bound One Bold Cat.
One Bold Cat had a breakthrough season last term, winning the Group 3 Counties Cup (2100m) in November before third and fourth placings in the Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) and Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) respectively.
Now a six-year-old, the son of The Bold One flashed home late into third over 1200m on August 31, and Saturday’s Seaton Park 1400 at New Plymouth will set him up for a tilt at the Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) and Group 1 Livamol Classic (2100m) at Hastings in the coming weeks.
“I was super rapt with him fresh-up, 1200m, and even 1400m this week is short of his best, but it’s another step towards the Arrowfield and the Livamol,” Patterson said.
“I think he’s matured into his body now, he was never the biggest horse but he’s really developed into his wither, he’s looking great.
“He’s working up super, so I’m looking forward to getting him up over a trip.”
The race will feature other potential Arrowfield contenders, including Mustang Valley and Hi Yo Sass Bomb, while stablemate Mary Louise will take her place in the field with a different target in mind.
Mary Louise collected the Group 3 Wellington Cup (3200m) in convincing style in January, and Patterson is eyeing a return to the two-mile distance in the Group 3 Martin Collins 161st New Zealand Cup (3200m) in November.
“She’s coming up well and she’s finally really maturing into herself, she’s quite a big rangy type of horse,” he said.
“At 1400, she’ll just follow them around and probably run past a couple at the finish, but we’re working back from the New Zealand Cup at the moment so it’s just getting miles under belt.”
Earlier at the meeting, Ballroom Blitz will take her place in the Wash Squad 1800, aiming to add to her last-start success in the Pearl Series Maiden at Matamata last Wednesday.
“We always wanted to get a Pearl Series when she could get up to a trip that suited her, so she’s ticked that box,” Patterson said.
“She won well at Matamata, she looked like she was going to win a long way out so if she can take improvement from there, with a nice draw (1), I’d imagine she can be figuring in the finish.”
On Sunday, Patterson will venture further afield to Te Rapa with another well-performed trio of runners, including proven mares Contribute and The Hottie.
The seven-year-olds both added valuable black-type to their pages last season with Contribute taking out the Group 3 Taranaki Cup (1800m) and The Hottie placing in the Group 3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m).
Patterson indicated this could be the successful pair’s final season on the track and hopes to kick off positively in the Norris Ward McKinnon 1200.
“Contribute is coming along well, she’s a seven-year-old mare now so this could be her final year, but we just hope to get some more black-type,” he said.
“1200m is well short for her as well, but she’ll go to a 1400m then a mile after this, so the further she goes, the better she’ll get.
“The Hottie bled at her last start down at Riccarton after a really good win on the first day, so she went for a spell and we have had no repeat of that since she’s come back.
“She’s had a couple of jump-outs and gone well, she’s got a nice handy draw so she may need the run, but I think she could go a cheeky race if she’s not too far off them.
“We’ll go to the Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (Group 3, 1400m) at her next start, and we’ll see how she goes over that distance there.
“I’d imagine now as a seven-year-old she’ll appreciate a little bit further, so we’ll find some nice black-type races around a mile and hopefully she can finish her racing career off with a flourish.”
Completing the weekend’s representatives will be Belles Beau, a winner at two of just four starts in an identical record to his full-sister Belles Fate, who won a competitive MAAT race at Hastings last Saturday.
The four-year-old will face a strong step-up in class in the Waikato Construction 1400 at Rating 75 grade, however, Patterson holds him in high-enough regard to put in an early nomination for the Group 3 TAB Mile (1600m) during New Zealand Cup Week.
“He’s a really nice horse, he’s getting thrown in the deep end here as he’s won a maiden and a special conditions maiden so far, but I really rate him and we’ll find out exactly where we are with him,” he said.
“He’s a full to Belles Fate who won last Saturday at Hawke’s Bay and it’s a nice family, so hopefully he can go on with it. Belles Fate had bone chips in her fetlocks which slowed her up for a year, but they both have taken a while to mature, and we’ve taken our time with them.
“They tell us when they’re ready to race, and now they are firing on all cylinders.”
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