Mark Two won’t have another run before G1 New Zealand Oaks start
Trainer Stephen Marsh has ruled out another appearance for the daughter of Pins ahead of the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) on March 17.
“Mark Two has already raced second-up over 2000m and she found that easy enough,” the Cambridge conditioner said.
“She’s a very good filly and she can get there on a limited preparation, it won’t worry her at all.”
Mark Two was a debut second over 1600m at Tauranga in December and showed her quality at her following start when a close fourth in the Group 2 Royal Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
She then came from the tail of the field to finish runner-up behind Dijon Bleu in Saturday’s Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa.
“It was a great run and my horse would be a good thing in a maiden 2000m at her next start, but she’s doing it all on her first preparation,” Marsh said. “I don’t need to run her again, she’ll be ready.”
Mark Two is a $9 chance in the Oaks while stablemate Insight is at $31.
“We had to scratch her from the Sir Tristram, her blood was out a little bit,” Marsh said.
“There’s still five weeks to go and we didn’t want to risk her. All going well she’ll run in the Sunline Vase.”
Insight won two runs back and the daughter of Shocking then finished sixth in the Group 3 Desert Gold
Stakes (1600m).