Te Akau Racing have dominated the northern juvenile features this term and they will have a pair of fillies out to continue that trend in the south in Saturday’s Listed Riccarton Park Function Centre Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton.
Courtesy of star two-year-olds Return To Conquer and La Dorada, the tangerine silks collected the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), Gr.2 Matamata Breeders Stakes (1200m), Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m), Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) and Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
Down in Christchurch, Best Rose and Queen’s Evidence will have their first opportunity at stakes level, carrying different form lines coming into the race.
Best Rose has traded blows with race-rival Zelia throughout this campaign, with the latter currently leading the market after putting five lengths on the Maurice filly last-start at the course. Sam Bergerson, who trains the Best Rose in partnership with Mark Walker, is under no illusions about the challenge she faces again on Saturday.
“Walshy’s (David Walsh, trainer) filly was very impressive and beat us fair and square there, she had every chance while drawing the inside probably did play against her a touch,” he said.
“Obviously they are forming a good battle, but she’ll need to improve from last start. We think she’s trained on well, the track will hopefully dry out and they should be racing on a good surface.
“We’ll look to be positive from a good gate and we think the blinkers will sharpen her up a bit. I’m looking forward to Saturday as it’s a good opportunity for black-type with her and she’s going the right way.”
Queen’s Evidence is the less-experienced of the pair, but gained plenty of admirers with a tough debut victory at Wingatui in early March.
“She had a bit of time off after that, she had about two weeks out because she’d done a hell of a travelling schedule to get down there,” Bergerson said.
“She was meant to run at Otaki the week before, so we weren’t sold on going to Wingatui, but she travelled down so well to Christchurch that we just carried on. It was a really good effort.
“She’s come back well, her work has been really good and she’s certainly going to benefit from the raceday experience. She should be another nice chance.”
Bergerson hopes to continue on to the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m) in three weeks’ time with the two fillies, who have benefitted from time away from their main base in Matamata.
“It certainly grows them up a bit, the change of scenery seems to spark a few of them up over the years and these two fillies are no different,” he said.
“They have travelled down well, they’ve done everything right down there and we’re very lucky to have that base with Hunter (Durrant) and the team, they do a fantastic job.
“Hopefully these two can run well on Saturday, then potentially go on to the Listed race in a couple of weeks before spelling them. If they are good enough, it sets them up well for those Guineas races as three-year-olds.”
The stable has made it no secret that they play favourites when it comes to Perfect Scenario, and the ever-consistent gelding will be one of the leading hopes in the $350,000 TAB Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) despite carrying the clear topweight.
An 11-race winner and Group One performer, Perfect Scenario narrowly missed winning his third-straight Gr.3 White Robe Lodge WFA (1600m) at Wingatui in March but is in as good form as ever leading into the innovation feature.
“He’s just an old marvel, he’s the stable favourite for everyone at Te Akau,” Bergerson said.
“He’s an absolute gentleman and we would love to see him win on Saturday, obviously we were gutted that he didn’t get his third White Robe just on the bob. His run was very game under the big weight again last time and obviously he’s got to lug that weight again, but he deserves it, he’s probably the class horse of the field and he’s had a fantastic season.
“There’s no reason why he can’t run well again, we may need a little bit of luck from the gate, but it is the mile start so he’s got plenty of opportunity to find his spot.”
The Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) will feature Dream Of The Moon and Donna Chiara, a pair that may fly under the radar after not performing up to their best last start.
All Too Hard filly Dream Of The Moon placed at Group Two level as a juvenile and in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) in the spring, but a setback put her out of 1000 Guineas contention, only returning to the races last month.
While she was a winner first-up, that performance was not emulated last time out behind Kellanzor.
“She (Dream Of The Moon) was disappointing last time out and we were scratching our heads a little bit, sometimes when they have that first run back after a while off the scene it can flatten them out,” Bergerson said. “She pulled up with a delayed recovery, she was vetted post-race and at home and we couldn’t find anything wrong, she seems very bright and well.
“It was just a performance to put a line through really, if she brings her best from her two-year-old and early three-year-old season we certainly think she’s got the class to do it.
“She normally relaxes nicely, but in saying that, she was a bit fierce last-start so if she does everything well, she’s normally very tractable. If she’s going to get the mile, it’s going to be on Saturday against her own age and sex.”
Donna Chiara is one of two fillies carrying the JML Bloodstock colours in the race, alongside the Samantha Logan-trained Mille Grazie.
“She’s drawn 24 of 24, but we’ll definitely start, we just will probably have to take our medicine and go back,” Bergerson said.
“She’s been a touch disappointing so far, we thought she was a good winning chance last-start but whether the sticky conditions just halted her, she’s not a very big or robust filly.
“In the better conditions, she’ll need a lot of luck but with blinkers back on I think that’ll be the massive key. She’ll need to lift her game from previous efforts though.”
Of their dozen remaining runners at the meeting, Bergerson noted Vivacious (Waitomo-Kiwis Fuelling Kiwis Rating 75, 1400m) and their quartet in the Windsor Park Stud RR&B Luncheon and Yearling Sale May 2nd Rating 65 (1200m) to be nice chances.
“I think Vivacious is a horse for good odds, she’s quite talented on her day and just keeps blowing the start,” he said. “Her sectionals been very good late, so hopefully we’ll see a much-improved performance from her.”
