Matamata trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott are eyeing a trip south to Wanganui next month with Treasure State if he performs well at Te Rapa on Saturday.
The three-year-old gelding will be aiming for back-to-back wins in the Waikato Draught 1200, and a tilt at the Listed Wanganui Guineas (1340m) next month hinges on his performance.
“He is familiar with Te Rapa and he quickens well on the surface,” Scott told SEN.
“It is a wee bit stronger field (to last start), but we are looking more towards a performance tomorrow rather than a result.
“If he can settle well, quicken, and look like he is going to run out a strong 1340m, he will head to the Wanganui Guineas.
“He will be quickening well, but it’s a big field and he is going to get a long way back. We have just got to hope that he quickens better than most.
“When he gets back to his own age group in a start’s time, he will be hard to beat.”
Treasure State will be met in Saturday’s race by stablemate Escudo who heads into the weekend off the back of a last start placing.
“It was a better run last start,” Scott said. “She is bred to sprint and we are going back to her genetics this weekend.
“She found last week that when she got into the open she raced a lot better. “She is working the house down and there is no reason why she won’t run well.”
Later on the card Wexford Stables hold a strong hand in the Xmas @ Te Rapa Tickets Now On Sale 1200 with Aero De Paris and Princess Rihanna.
Aero De Paris is in a purple patch of form, winning his last two starts after placing in his previous two starts this preparation, and his trainers are hoping for a similar result on Saturday.
“He is racing well and he races well at Te Rapa,” Scott said.
“He has got a tendency to want to race right-handed better than left and he has drawn the outside. We hope he does everything right from out there.
“He has been aided by good draws in recent times going left-handed, so it is going to take a wee bit of a ride from Joe (Kamaruddin), but he has continued to work well and looks amazing for this time of year.
“He is really handling his racing prep well, being a little bit older and stronger. There is no reason why he can’t put in a similar performance to his last couple.”
Scott said if Princess Rihanna is on song on Saturday, she too could feature in the finish.
“She will handle Te Rapa. It never gets bottomless there,” he said.
“She has been mixing up her training a wee bit. On Tuesday you were umming and arring about her a wee bit, but her work on Thursday was really encouraging.
“She is in really good order and when she brings her A game she is well and truly up to beating this lot.”
