HASTINGS - Melbourne Cup joint favourite Showella is just one of 10 group one winners nominated for the $100,000 Mudgway Partsworld Stakes at Hastings next week.
The 1400-metre weight-for-age event on August 26 is shaping as an embarrassment of riches for Hawkes Bay Racing Incorporated.
Such has been the response from trainers wanting to kick off the spring campaigns of their top gallopers in the race that it is likely some may have to be balloted out.
The starting limit is 16 runners but already connections of 19 horses have indicated their wish to start.
Showella and Bawalaksana were added to the list of group one winners nominated for the race this week.
Showella is joint favourite at $15 with the English entrant Mutafaweq in the New Zealand TAB's fixed-odds market on this year's Melbourne Cup on November 7.
The mare's co-trainer Frank Ritchie is keen to kick off her Melbourne Cup campaign in the Hastings feature. Her three New Zealand wins last season included the group one Lion Red Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie while the previous season she won the South Australian Derby.
Bawalaksana failed to win in seven starts last season but captured the group one ARC Railway Handicap-WRC Telegraph Handicap double over 1200m the previous season.
Other group one winners likely to step out in the Mudgway Partsworld Stakes are last year's Kelt Capital Stakes victor Cent Home, Waikato Draught sprint winner Tall Poppy and the multiple group winners Surface, Aerosmith, Des's Dream, Pakaraka Star, Centre Crest and Count Chivas.
Aerosmith showed his readiness to return to racing with an impressive gallop between races at last Sunday's Foxton meeting while Tall Poppy has caught the eye in training at Awapuni this week.
Cheiron, placed in the group one Telegraph Sprint last season and fourth in the Doncaster Handicap (1600m) in Sydney, is also nominated for the Mudgway Stakes along with the multiple group one placegetter Integrate, Cinder Bella, Buster Brookfield, Resonare, Kaapstad Way, Vyner's Lane, Creme De Honor and Call Me Zeus.
Another highlight at Hastings will be the return to group race riding of champion jockey Lance O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan resumes riding at Taupo on Wednesday after a three-month layoff following an operation.
- NZPA
Racing: Search for good track pulls stars to Hastings
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