Yaldi’s quest for further stakes honours gained momentum at Monday’s trials at Te Awamutu where the talented three-year-old enjoyed a good hit-out.
The Andrew Forsman-prepared son of Ardrossan sat three wide near the pace and wasn’t pressured in the run home to finish third against the older horses in his 850m heat.
“It was good to get him back and going and he seems to have returned bigger and stronger,” the Cambridge trainer said.
Yaldi has been set for the Auckland age group feature on Karaka Millions evening on January 25.
“Obviously, the Karaka Mile is our target, and I’d like to give him a look around Ellerslie at some point, the race does roll around pretty quickly,” Forsman said.
“It’s a matter of sitting down and deciding whether we give him another trial or find a race for him in the next two or three weeks.
“It would be nice to get some more experience into him to have him ready for the Karaka race.”
Yaldi was a dominant debut winner last season before he crossed the Tasman to finish third in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes (1400m) at Flemington and then returned home for a break.
He was then back in Melbourne off the back of a domestic trial success to resume in the Gr.3 McNeil Stakes (1200m).
However, things didn’t go to plan at Caulfield and he was unplaced behind winner Growing Empire, who subsequently claimed another stakes victory and placed three times at Group One level.
“He came home and had three or four weeks in the paddock, and he’s come back in great order,” Forsman said.
“It was a tough race that day and there was a lot going on, the wind was really blowing and he got in among horses in tight quarters and probably too tough of an ask in that company the way things transpired.
“A bit more time and a bit more practice will really help him.”
Meanwhile, stablemate Kitty Flash didn’t enjoy the conditions at Riccarton on Saturday where she finished seventh in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) off the back of a strong run for second on top of the ground in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m).
“It was just a shame it was such a poor track, and I thought she would handle it better than what she did,” Forsman said.
“Craig (Grylls, jockey) said as soon as she came off the bridle and had to challenge, she scrambled a bit and obviously got a bad check and that was the end of it.
“She’ll have a couple of weeks in the paddock and goes out in good order. I haven’t made any plans as to whether we hang around in New Zealand, there might be better options in Melbourne or Sydney in the autumn.
“We’ll get her going again and build her up, but nothing in mind at this stage.”
Forsman enjoyed a better result at Tauranga with multiple winner Saint Bathans, who was a close second behind Sumi in the open handicap over 1400m.
“He was great and finally got a bit of luck in the run from a nice draw,” he said.
“He got cover but when they sprinted, he got caught a little flat-footed after coming back from racing over a bit further and stuck on really well to just get beaten by a handy horse.”