Volpe Veloce is stepping up in distance on Saturday. Photo / Race Images
Group One winner Volpe Veloce will most likely contest Saturday's Gr.2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill, with the six-year-old mare to step up in distance after only beating one runner home in the Gr.2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at the same track a fortnight ago.
Trainer Graham Richardson believes the mare will benefit immensely from her fresh-up run, in which she ran into Western Australian star Acadia Queen, who could be one of the key horses to follow this spring.
"Initially I was disappointed, but they ran way too quick for her and it was only over 1300m," he said.
"She actually got in amongst them and she didn't like that. She's going to have blinkers on this weekend.
"She still ran the fourth quickest last furlong of all the horses in the field. She tried hard and had a decent blow and she will definitely improve."
Volpe Veloce also holds a nomination for Saturday's Gr.2 Golden Pendant (1400m) but Richardson said his preference was to contest the Shannon Stakes and he hopes the addition of blinkers will enable the mare to take a more forward position.
"We've just got to remember that she's a very good mare but they are world class sprinters over there, so that's a big difference and that's what stakes money is all about," he said.
"Hopefully the blinkers can put a bit of zip back into her and she pulled up after that race like she'd never had one. She has definitely improved.
"She's at John Thompson's stables at Randwick and Rogan Norvall (assistant trainer) and myself keep swapping over. He has great stables there and she has done well."
The Matamata horseman confirmed Saturday would be a crossroad for Volpe Veloce as to what shape her campaign might take.
"It all depends on how she goes this weekend as to what her programme is this preparation," he said.
"If she doesn't live up to what we hope, we might sit down and think about bringing her back home for the races here. I see the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m) is at weight-for-age now, which is a great idea. We should have more of them."
Meanwhile, Richardson unveiled a nice two-year-old at the Cambridge trials on Monday, with a Vancouver colt out of American stakes performer Select Cat catching the eye when second.
"He is a nice horse," Richardson said of the $130,000 Karaka yearling sale purchase.
"That was his second trial and he did a lot wrong and he is still quite tubby, but we will get him named and go straight to the races now.
"He was a nice horse at the sales and he has really developed and he is built to show up at two."
• A return to the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day remains the primary focus for Princess Kereru this season.
The daughter of Pins was beaten by a neck by Santa Monica in the opening Group One of the year and trainers Ken and Bev Kelso would dearly love to go one better this term.
She kicked off her preparation with a third placing in her 800m trial at Cambridge on Monday and Ken Kelso believes she has gained a bit of strength during winter.
"She's coming up well this prep, she's stronger this time in," he said. "I was very happy with her trial."
Princess Kereru will make her raceday resumption in the Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m) at Rotorua next month, but will likely have one more blowout before that initial assignment.
"She'll probably have an exhibition gallop at Matamata on October 10 between races and then she'll kick off in the Sweynesse at Rotorua," Kelso said.
"She won the same day there last year so it's an obvious kick-off point."
Kelso admitted the six-year-old mare is becoming increasingly hard to place, but he endeavours to pick out a suitable path to the Railway on January 1.
"She's becoming hard to place now, she's a 101 rating so she's probably a weight-for-age or set-weights & penalties horse," he said. "She'll kick off in the Sweynesse then we'll make a plan to get back to the Railway from there on.
"Obviously she's Group One placed, a Group Three and Listed winner, so the ultimate prize is that Group One. She comes into the set weights & penalties race quite nicely still with only 54kg on her back."
Meanwhile, Kelso was also pleased with Supera's resuming trial where she finished third in her 935m heat.
"She's coming up really well, I think she's a lot stronger," he said. "She spelled well and I thought it was a nice trial by her.
"She's another that's pretty hard to place, she's rated 100. She will probably kick off in an open 1400m at Ellerslie and then Tauranga (Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes, 1600m)."
Like her stablemate, Supera is being set for Group One assignments after finishing runner-up to Nicoletta in the Gr.1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m) at Te Aroha in April.
"Her ultimate goal this year is the Captain Cook (Gr.1, 1600m). The idea of going to Ellerslie first is to give her a look around as she's never been there. The Zabeel Classic (Gr.1, 2000m) at Ellerslie is the goal after the Captain Cook."
- NZ Racing Desk