Opaki mare Ruby Rocks (NZ) (Burgundy) will be seeking back-to-back stakes victories when she heads to Tauherenikau on Waitangi Day to contest the Listed Clubs NZ Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).
The eight-year-old daughter of Burgundy was victorious in the Listed Marton Cup (2200m) at Trentham when first-up last month and has been freshened ahead of Thursday’s mile.
“They left her alone (last start),” owner-breeder-trainer Roger Allen said. “If she gets another soft run like that and they leave her alone out in front, she will be hard to catch again.
“I gave her a week off and then she has just been doing light work. She is thriving, she is getting better with age.”
Allen is looking forward to tackling a stakes contest on their backdoor step, and said Ruby Rocks loves the Wairarapa track.
“She seems to like the distance, but she just loves the Tauherenikau track,” he said.
“We went down to Tauherenikau for a gallop (on Monday) and she flew around there.”
Following Thursday, Allen is looking to return to Tauherenikau with Ruby Rocks in a fortnight to tackle the Wairoa Cup (2050m).
Meanwhile, Allen will line-up four other runners on Thursday’s undercard, including Slice O’ Paradise (NZ) (Alamosa) in the NZB Mega Maiden Series Maiden (1600m), Touch O’Paradise (NZ) (Alamosa) in the Kuripuni Sports Bar And TAB Maiden (2050m), and Written in Rock (NZ) (Wrote) and Subtle Time (NZ) (Time Test) in the Chatham Islands Jockey Club Maiden (1000m).
“I am quite confident with Slice O’ Paradise and Touch of Paradise,” Allen said. “The two three-year-olds are still quite green and it will be nice to give them a run, it is only 1000m.”
