Auckland Cup start on the cards for High Spirits
“She’s nominated for the Nathans at Auckland to give her a look around Ellerslie so we’ll have a go and if we’re happy with the result we’ll nominate her for the Auckland Cup,” trainer John Bary said.
“We know she can get the two miles and she’s loving her work and racing.”
In December, High Spirits won for the third time in her career when she produced a dominant performance in the Chalmers Two Mile Premier (3200m) at Wellington and then returned to Trentham to finish a bold fifth in the Group 3 Trentham Stakes (2100m).
The Darci Brahma five-year-old was fifth again in the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) after racing four wide for the last 1000m.
“We’ve also put in a cheeky nomination for the Sydney Cup,” Bary said. “She’s a mare that has got better with age and she’ll probably be even better next season.”
While High Spirits’ career is set to go to another level, younger stablemate Swiss Precision’s has come to a pre-mature end.
The Nearco Stud-bred and owned three-year-old’s future is in the broodmare paddock after suffering an injury when unplaced in last week’s Listed Wairarapa Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Tauherenikau.
“She’s got a hairline fracture in a fetlock so she’s been retired,” Bary said.
“She’s had a few issues unfortunately, she had a bone chip taken off the same fetlock after her first start as a two-year-old.”
By Swiss Ace, Swiss Precision won two of her five races this term and finished fourth behind the top filly Dijon Bleu in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).