Thursday NZ briefs – Highly-rated Sellwood set for spell
LIGHTLY-RACED five-year-old Sellwood is heading for a break after it runs at Te Awamutu on Friday.
Owner-trainer David Wilson said there is no temptation to continue racing the two-race winner even if it is successful.
“He’ll have a spell win, lose or draw,” Wilson said.
Sellwood, which will be ridden by Ryan Elliot in the Fairview Motors 1150, has weighed in at its last two appearances after racing without luck.
“At Rotorua it was a sticky track and he got caught in the worst of the going when the winners were coming down the outside and it was the same thing at Taupo when he was on the inside,” he said.
Group tests await Wassergeist
Training duo Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have their sights set on higher honours for their well-bred colt Wassergeist.
The former Cambridge couple produced the Fastnet Rock three-year-old, a $240,000 Karaka yearling purchase out of Lyndhurst Farm’s 2016 draft to Karaka, to win at its third attempt at Sandown on Wednesday.
“Now that he’s got that win on the board we can now look to those better races,” Young said.
The Group Three Caulfield Guineas Prelude on October 1 is now a likely target for Wassergeist ahead of the Group One Caulfield Guineas.
“It’s good to see these colours win for Shane Baertschiger, who trains up in Singapore, plus he’s got a few heavy hitters in the ownership including Coolmore, Newgate Farm and Tommy Heptinstall,” Young said.
Hurdle hope Stormin Norman in top order
Stormin Norman is in fine shape ahead of his second attempt at the Schweppes Great Northern Hurdle at Ellerslie on Saturday.
The horse’s trainer John Wheeler said his galloper is fit and firing.
“He came through his run at Te Aroha last Sunday in great shape and is ready to go for the Northern,” Wheeler said.
“I brought him back from Australia specifically for this race and I think he is in with a shout.
“He went a beauty in his last race in Aussie and with a better ride would have run in the money. He’s tough and if he strikes a loose track on Saturday he will be a chance.”
Stormin Norman finished fifth in the 2014 edition of the race before suffering an injury that kept the horse off the scene for just on eighteen months.
The ten-year-old will be ridden by Shaun Fannin on Saturday.
Quality mares in good order for the Valley
Co-trainer Murray Baker has been pleased with the progress made by Bonneval and Lizzie L’Amour ahead of Saturday’s Group Two Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley.
“They’re both going well, but it’s hard to know how they’ll go first-up,” he said. “Bonneval will be better once she gets over more ground and Lizzie L’Amour is a good staying mare who can run well fresh.”
Both mares are on a course toward the Group One Caulfield Cup while the stable’s Group One VRC Derby hope Weather With You made a promising start to its preparation with a runner-up finish over 1400m at Sandown on Wednesday.
“Obviously he needs further and he’s by Teofilo, who is a terrific sire and we’re hoping he makes the grade,” said Baker, who trains in partnership with Andrew Forsman.