Well-performed stablemates Talisker (NZ) (Embellish) and Trobriand (Kermadec) will aim to take their season to the next level at Taupo on Wednesday with a strong assignment in the Fiber Fresh (1400m).
The pair have raced alongside each other for much of their career, filling the quinella in the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) as juveniles, and finishing fourth and second respectively in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at three.
While racing in top company last autumn, they both didn’t find that form, but have regained confidence at four with Talisker finishing third to stablemate My Lips Are Sealed in the Gr.3 Phar Lap Trophy (1600m) before a dominant win at Taranaki earlier this month.
Sam Bergerson, who trains the Te Akau galloper with Mark Walker, took plenty of satisfaction from the last-start victory.
“He’s always been a talented galloper, his three-year-old form behind Crocetti was very good and we feel that mentally he’s taken a little while,” he said. “It was good to see him do that at Taranaki, hopefully now he’s got a bit of confidence to go on to bigger and better things.
“We’ll get through Wednesday, and if we keep him at 1400m, we may look at the Flying Handicap (Listed) at Trentham on the 29th (of March). If we wanted to go up to a mile, we could go to Tauranga for the Japan Trophy (Gr.2, 1600m) on the 15th, but we do feel he’s a little bit stronger left-handed.
“Those are in mind for him if he runs well.”
Trobriand kicked off his season in style at Taupo with a big display over 1200m, but that momentum came to a halt when he suffered a cardiac arrythmia in early October. After a spell, he came back to place third to Tomodachi and Glamour Tycoon in a pair of 1200m contests at Tauranga, and that pair went on to quinella the open sprint on Avondale Cup Day.
“I thought he was good first-up, then probably just okay last time at Tauranga, but it was that day where they seemed to have to be either on the rail or one-off to win,” Bergerson said.
“In saying that, I think the winner of that race (Glamour Tycoon) is a very nice horse and ran well at Ellerslie on Saturday, so he wasn’t disgraced. He’s knocking on the door without winning, he’s just had a few setbacks this season and his work was really good on Saturday.
“He’s won at Taupo earlier in the season, so back there and sneaking in at a nice light weight and Michael (McNab) on really helps. He’s got a few ticks there, so hopefully he can go out and run well.”
Trobriand was a classy colt in the early stages of his career but was gelded over the winter, which Bergerson said has improved his manner around their Matamata stable.
“His demeanour has really changed, it probably hasn’t yet transpired on to the track as he was a good colt,” he said. “But he’s much lovelier to deal with at home and his work has been super, he probably just hasn’t gone to that next level yet.
“Hopefully we’re on top of his niggles now and he can get back to some winning form.”
The pair currently share favouritism for the race at $4, with Talisker set to carry 4.5kg more under Craig Grylls.
