Rising star Dolcetto shooting for four straight at Tauherenikau

Dolcetto
Jockey Samantha Collett drives Dolcetto to victory over race-rival Longchamp to win its third straight race. Photo: NZ Racing Desk

FIVE-YEAR-OLD gelding Dolcetto is one of the rising stars in New Zealand racing and it’s shooting for four consecutive wins this Saturday in the Johnson Brothers Open Handicap at Tauherenikau.

The Sylvia Kay-trained son of Per Incanto hasn’t tasted defeat this campaign having scored convincing wins at Awapuni and Trentham before stepping up to open grade and accounting for the likes of Longchamp last month.

With heavy conditions forecast for Saturday it looks a suitable target at the weights, but despite a perfect record (4/4) on a heavy surface, Kay will be happy to see the wet weather pass by.

“It’s just been terrible trying to do anything with the horses in this weather,” Kay said. “It’s kinda depressing, you feel like you’re wearing them out and not going anywhere because it’s so hard to find races.

“The weather is normally improving a bit by now, but we’ll take it as it comes.”

Global Tote at Topbetta

Dolcetto was a gallant winner last start at Awapuni where it defeated subsequent Opunake Cup winner Longchamp in a driving finish along the inside. The talented gelding has come through that effort well and Kay is just hoping the track holds up well enough this Saturday.

“He came through that win really well and he seemed to handle the conditions well and get there in the end,” Kay said.

“Going through the mud doesn’t worry him a lot, but I just hope it’s not too puggy – just the stickiness to it.”

Dolcetto isn’t just a wet track specialist and its win over the Australian-performed Eleonora at Hastings last year signalled its ability to run against some of the best Australasia has to offer.

Kay rejected the idea of heading to the Sydney autumn carnival next year, but instead will consider heading back to the Hastings spring carnival for a race either Windsor Park Plate day or Spring Classic day.

“There will be plenty in the spring, he’ll fit in the somewhere,” she said. “With the better tracks there might be more options.

“We’ll possibly go up there (Hawke’s Bay) for one of the days, not the first day, but there are some good races later on up there.

“He raced well up there last year when the tracks were better and it could be good to return.

“I haven’t looked at going to Australia, we’ll just get through the spring first.”

Dolcetto is the current $2.50 favourite at Bet365.com to beat the small field of only six runners. Included in the field is Longchamp, weight-for-age contender El Pescado and recent winner Darci Mac.

Tauherenikau Race 3 betting market

[rmOC_events_list event_ids=1137763_03]

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments