NZ quartet likely to avoid Winx this spring
THE Winx factor is set to assist a quartet of Cambridge runners to choose between the Cox Plate and the Caulfield Cup this spring.
While not completely ruling out a tilt at the Plate, Andrew Forsman – who trains in partnership alongside Murray Maker – said the Caulfield feature is firmly in the sights for their four stars Bonneval, Eleonora, Jon Snow and Lizzie L’Amour.
“While Winx is around the Cox Plate is very much a back-up plan,” Forsman said.
“The Caulfield Cup is more the focus.”
While the race has been earmarked, the camp is no closer to knowing when their stable stars will cross the Tasman.
Despite no true fly out plans being set in stone, Forsman has lofty ambitions for all of his runners.
“It’s a bit week to week at the moment with the wet weather,” he said.
“They could fly out on either August 20 or 27.
“Bonneval is doing as well as she can and once she gets to Melbourne she will really improve.”
ATC Derby winner Jon Snow is the runner the trainer identified as the horse to watch this campaign.
“Jon Snow has strengthened up a lot, he has gone to another level. There’s no reason he can’t reach the heights of Mongolian Khan,” Forsman said.
“He is likely to resume in the (New Zealand Bloodstock) Memsie Stakes. He’s more forward and the fastest of the others and he could run a cheeky fresh-up 1400, although now it’s $1 million there’ll be a few handy ones there.
“Bonneval will most likely kick off in the Dato Tan Chin Nam or the Makybe Diva the following week.”
Lizzie L’Amour has also thrilled her connections with her condition.
Forsman said the horse has “a lot of improvement” in it ahead of its maiden Australian campaign.
“She’s by Zabeel out of a Sadler’s Wells mare so she’s bred to stay and she’s already a Group One winner at weight-for-age over 2000m,” he said.
“There’s a lot of improvement in her and she’s coming up a treat. Once the cups come around she could get a piece of it.
“Eleonora only had a couple of starts in the autumn. She was meant to go to Sydney for the Oaks, but she was injured. A cups campaign will be her go and we might look at fillies and mares’ races early on to ease her into it.”
The lightly-tried Weather With You was stakes placed last season in the Listed Champagne Stakes and is considered a Group One VRC Derby prospect.
Forsman said: “He’s a son of Teofilo who we’ve got a lot of time for. Hopefully, he measures up.”