Sailor Jack and Kattegat will cross swords at Tauherenikau and then take different paths before meeting up again in a northern staying feature.
The Shaun Fannin and Hazel Schofer-trained pair will run in Thursday’s Central ITM Wairarapa Cup (2050m) and then go their separate ways until a joint assault at Ellerslie next month.
The staying duo have the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) on their programs with confidence in each’s ability to master the extreme distance of the March 8 contest.
Sailor Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry) returned from a freshen-up two runs back to finish third over 2100m at Trentham and then finished a sound fifth in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie.
“It was a really good run and uncharacteristically got back, he’s usually an on-speed runner, and he made good ground late,” Fannin said.
“That gave us confidence that he’s not too far off the mark and we probably made the mistake of putting visor blinkers on him.
“He’ll have the blinkers back on for Thursday and we’re sure he’ll roll forward and give a good account of himself.
“Amber Ridell is going to ride him and he’ll carry 60kg, but we’re sure he’s up to carrying that weight.”
Safely through Tauherenikau, the son of Jakkalberry will return north later this month.
“If he can run first or second, then we’ll press on toward the Avondale Cup (Gr.3, 2400m) and hopefully on to the Auckland Cup,” Fannin said.
“He’ll stay all day and seems to like Ellerslie, he’s won on the track and ran well there on New Year’s Day.”
Kattegat (NZ) (Redwood) has also been a winner at northern headquarters and most recently finished runner-up over ground at Otaki.
“She’s in good form for Thursday and I’m sure she’ll be a top three chance with Joe Doyle to ride her,” Fannin said.
“She seems to like Tauherenikau and has had a win and a second there. If she gets through this race okay, then she might go back there for the Wairoa Cup (2050m) on February 16.
“She does well with a bit of space between her races and that then would be three weeks into the Auckland Cup, which would suit her.”
The daughter of Redwood hasn’t been the easiest mare to manage and the stable is taking a fingers crossed approach in her Cup build-up.
“She can be quite a tricky mare, she can be a bit of a handful at home and not the easiest to ride,” Fannin said.
“She’s quite headstrong and always seems to do something whether it’s kicking the box, bumping a leg or a stone bruise.
“A few times we’ve put her in the box the night before the race and she’s fine and then in the morning she’s got a puffy leg or something else, she always seems to find trouble.”
