Minor hiccup for smart 3YO
Talented three-year-old filly Shoshone was scratched from last Saturday’s Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) after a slight set-back but is still a chance to contest the Group 1 gavlhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November for which she is rated a $26 chance.
Prepared by Ken and Bev Kelso, Shoshone was an impressive winner of her only start as a juvenile and had defeated Gold Trail winner Aretha in a trial leading into the Hawke’s Bay fresh-up assignment. “We just had a minor set-back, she screwed a plate off in the paddock on Thursday afternoon. Hopefully it’s only minor and won’t hold us up too long and then we’ll be able to get going again,” Ken Kelso said. “The Guineas is still on the cards at this stage but it all depends on what happens in the next week or two and where we can get to. “It’s a long season so we won’t be panicking to go somewhere where we’re not ready.”
Kelso took heart from the win of Aretha and knows the ability his filly possesses. “She trialled up nicely but obviously she lacks a bit of the street-wise that Aretha has. “She has certainly got a lot of ability and I always thought she’d need a bit of time and it’s going to be on her side. If we didn’t get to the Thousand Guineas it’s not the end of the world because there’s a hell of a lot of ability there. Hopefully we’ll reap the rewards later on.”