Thursday NZ news briefs – Weight worries with stablemates
Stephen Marsh admits to reservations about the chances of Bella Gioia and Amastar at Pukekohe Park on Friday.
“It’s a shame Bella Gioia will have to carry topweight, she’s a smaller filly although she is pretty classy at her best and Amastar isn’t that well-weighted either,” the Cambridge trainer said. “Both horses are very well though.”
Runner-up in the 2016 Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas, Bella Gioia will have to shoulder 59kg in the Haunui Farm Handicap (1200m) while Amastar will carry 58kg.
Shin lands Mighty Solomon ride
Central districts apprentice Alex Shin will ride at Te Rapa for the first time when he pilots Group 1 performer Mighty Solomon in Saturday’s Team Wealleans 1200.
Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta has opted to use Shin’s 3kg claim to get weight relief from the Group 1 Thorndon Mile-placed Darci Brahma seven-year-old’s carded weight of 61.5kg for the Rating 85 sprint.
“He was a bit disappointing first-up, but he needed the run,” Latta said.
“I hadn’t expected this race to come up such a strong race. We’ve taken weight off his back and we’ll try and give him some confidence. He’s an older horse now and he’s better with the sting out of the ground. We’ll just take each race as it comes with him this preparation.”
Vickezzmoet sparks early celebration
Well-related filly Vickezzmoet made the perfect start to her career at Waipukurau on Thursday.
The daughter of O’Reilly and the Group 3 winner Vickezzchardonay was the toast of her connections with a winning debut in the Peter & Ann Evans 3YO Maiden (1200m).
“She’s got a really good pedigree and she won all three of her jump-outs this time in,” said Guy Lowry, who trains the filly with Grant Cullen.
“She’s got a good future and we’ll probably give her a spell of four or five weeks now and bring her back for the spring.” Fee increase for Dalghar A successful year for Brighthill Farm stallion Dalghar will see his 2018 service fee rise from $8000 to $10,000 + GST.
His stand-out performer has been the home-bred Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) and Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) winner Scott Base. Dalghar’s associate sire Preferment, a multiple Group 1-winning son of Zabeel, will stand at $12,500 + GST while Group 1 producer Perfectly Ready will remain at $3000 + GST.