Longchamp out to redeem himself at Hawera

Longchamp will attempt to put an uninspiring first-up effort behind him when he returns to the central districts on Friday to further a campaign focussed on a black type hat-trick.

The six-year-old left his connections deflated following his distant fifth at Trentham behind New York Minute when resuming from a nine-month break.

“It was an awful run, I thought he would be hard to beat after he’d trialled so well,” trainer Andrew Campbell said.

“The only thing I can do is to put it down to the track. Thankfully, he has come through it really well.

“I don’t normally back him up, but he needs another run for the Opunake Cup.”

The winner of the last two editions of the Cup, a Listed event at New Plymouth, Longchamp will chase a much-needed confidence-boosting performance in the Fairview Hawera Insert Windows Handicap (1300m) at Hawera.

“His work has been really good and I can’t fault him,” Campbell said.

The Cambridge trainer is also looking forward to the return of Padraig in the Seeka Premier Handicap (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday.

The Power three-year-old was a two-year-old winner and finished sixth in the Listed Karaka Million (1200m) last season and subsequently joined the Cranbourne operation of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.

Padraig won a race at Bendigo in the spring before he returned to Campbell’s stable and was unplaced when resuming at Te Rapa over 1200m last month. He has since won an open trial at Te Awamutu by a wide margin.

“He’s working really well and his trial was good,” he said. “He’s looking for a mile now and he’s got that – he’s probably the best chance of my three.”

Campbell’s other representative at Tauranga is Rene, who also disappointed last time out when unplaced at Trentham, in the Rhys Mischefski Bayleys Premier (1400m).

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