Trio of runners set to star for leading NZ stable
THE dynamic training duo of Murray Barker and Andrew Forsman is planning a three-pronged attack on the second leg of the Triple Crown series at Hawke’s Bay.
New Zealand’s leading stable will be represented by fresh runners Mime and Stolen Dance in the Group One Windsor Park Plateon Saturday week, while stablemate Coldplay will complete their Hastings-bound trio.
Stolen Dance was to have debuted for the Cambridge trainers in the Group One Tarzino Trophy, but plans were scrapped due to the underfoot conditions.
“It would have been too tough first-up on her,” Forsman said.
“We left it until late, but the forecast was for more rain on the day and she’s hopeless on wet tracks.”
All three of the stable’s candidates are group two winners chasing breakthrough success at the highest level.
Forsman said the journey to Hawke’s Bay will be slightly different this year after one of his runners struggled through the carnival.
“We’re happy with Mime and we’re intentionally keeping her on the fresh side,” he said.
“By the time she got to the third leg last year it was all a bit too much.”
Twelve months ago, Mime was an unlucky eighth in the Makfi Challenge Stakes (now the Tarzino Trophy) before the horse ran second in the Windsor Park Plate and again eighth in the Livamol Classic.
Coldplay will have race fitness on its side after the horse was blocked for room when unplaced in the Group Two Foxbridge Plate.
The horse also struggled on Slow 9 going at Hastings when it finished outside of the money in the Tarzino Trophy, but Forsman said there were no issues for Coldplay coming out of the event.
“She went to let down, but she couldn’t handle the track,” the trainer said.
“She’s come through the race fine though.”