Northern focus for smart sprinter
Black type winner Astor is unlikely to be straying too far from home next season.
“She’s a real 1200m horse and there are a couple of races at the Hawke’s Bay carnival, but she’s a much better horse right-handed,” Matamata trainer Cody Cole said.
Targets for the rising four-year-old will instead focus on Ellerslie where she has won twice, including success in the Listed Mufhasa Stakes (1300m) and finished runner-up in the Group 3 Mongolian Khan Trophy (1200m).
“Ideally, we would like to get her to the Group 1 there,” said Cole, referring to the Railway (1200m).
“Obviously, she would have to win a couple of races along the way.”
Astor hasn’t raced since was unplaced in the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) off a torrid run.
“She was four wide for the trip and put up the white flag quite early,” Cole said.
“She had a good break after that and she came back into work 10 days ago. She’s come back bigger and better.”
Cole also has high hopes for trial winner Times Time, a well-related filly who will make her debut in the Almanzor at Cambridge Stud 2YO (900m) at Ruakaka on Saturday.
“We quite like her, she’s got a motor and 900m will be perfect for her,” he said.
“She’ll jump and run.”
By Moshe, she is part-owned by Taupo breeder Murray Jones who has enjoyed black type success with Times Time’s family. He raced the filly’s grand-mother Dreamworks, who won the Group 2 Royal Stakes (2000m), and her dam Slanchyvah, a dual Group 1 placegetter.
Cole will also be represented by The Helix, a last-start third on the track, in the Racing Sunday August 12 Maiden (1600m).
“He got home strongly a fortnight ago and he’s gone the right way since,” he said.