Racing: Trainers eye Telegraph with talented duo

Spring Heat runs at Matamata today. Photo / Trish Dunell

Matamata trainers Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott will produce talented sprinting duo Spring Heat and Sweet Leader in today's Hobbiton Movie Set 1200 on their home track, hoping bold performances could springboard them into Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) contention.

Spring Heat had been in contention for the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie next Tuesday but Scott confirmed she would take her place in the Matamata Rating 82 feature.

"She'll be running at Matamata. It's just a matter of getting her campaign underway," he said.

"Her trials have been only okay, but her work has been tremendous so we're basing our expectations on that. This is a good opportunity to race her on her own track. She's never run here before but obviously she does all her work here so she's on familiar ground.

"There'll be a bit of give in the track which will suit her and she'll sprint well fresh. She's a talented racehorse and we're hoping she can perform well."

More Than Ready four-year-old Spring Heat races in the Hermitage Thoroughbreds colours that O'Sullivan and Scott have enjoyed much success with through the likes of Willie Cazals and Summer Passage, among others.

A winner of two of her five starts, including the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie last year, Spring Heat hasn't raced since her fifth placing in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham last January, sidelined after surgery to remove a bone chip on her fetlock.

Sweet Leader is back in O'Sullivan and Scott's care after a brief stint in Hong Kong, where he was unplaced in both his starts.

Prior, the O'Reilly entire had won three races for the stable, including the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders' Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa and finished fifth in this year's Railway at Ellerslie.

"He's worked up in a manner that suggests he'll run very well fresh-up," Scott said.

"He's another that will appreciate the give in the track and he's a capable, talented horse.

"They are both nominated for the big sprints if their form is good enough to warrant running. We'll just get this race out of the way first and then reassess."

The O'Sullivan-Scott stable has 11 entries at Matamata, with Scott expecting a bold run from the Hermitage Thoroughbreds-raced Autumn Flash in the Meat Co Matamata 1400.

• Boots 'N' All capped off a memorable year for trainer Lance Robinson when winning the Listed Timaru Cup (1600m) at Phar Lap Raceway yesterday.

The Perfectly Ready six-year-old bookended 2018 with stakes victories after taking out the Listed Timaru Stakes (1400m) in January, giving his trainer his first black-type scalp.

Ridden by southern hoop Jacob Lowry, Boots 'N' All settled towards the rear of the field after jumping from barrier five, where he remained for the majority of the race until Lowry steered his charge wide when turning for home.

With a strong finish, Boots 'N' All was able to gather in his opposition to win by a neck over pacemaker Wild Jack, with last year's winner Kolonel Kev a further head back in third.

Robinson said his charge had been building towards that result after finishing runner-up in the Gr.2 Coupland's Bakeries Mile (1600m) last month and putting in a solid run for sixth in the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m).

- NZ Racing Desk