“Bruno didn’t do anything wrong but we have engaged Opie for the Oaks and the way she is handling her preparation we think she will go there as a good chance.”
Single Red will not be joined by her stablemate Chilling Out in the Oaks though after she peaked on her run in the Ellis Classic.
“She will go to the paddock now,” confirms Forsman.
“We think a lot of her but she has just lightened up a touch and has done enough for this prep.”
Forsman did the same thing with Hinekaha this time last year, realising an Oaks or Derby prep was not in her best interests long-term so pulled stumps and it has paid off as she has returned a Group 2 winner this summer.
Forsman believes Hinekaha didn’t stay the 2000m of the Herbie Dyke on Saturday so will freshen her up and aim her at a couple of 1600m races, the most important being the NZ Breeders at Trentham for which she is the $6 third favourite.
Favourite for the Breeders is Quintessa, who will start that prep in one of two open catchweight trials before the first race at Te Aroha on Wednesday.
Forsman’s other high-quality mare Mary Shan will head to the Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes at Matamata this Saturday, with the trainer hoping for rain to produce give in the track.
Stablemate Lassified didn’t disappoint him after a jostled run in the A$2m Millennium at Randwick in Sydney on Saturday so will continue her prep.
“She got knocked around a bit but her last 100m was pretty good and had he had a bit more luck, I reckon she could have been the first ladies-owned horse home and won the Pink Bonus.
“As it is she comes home empty-handed but all going well she will still head to the Sistema Stakes [$550,000, Group 1] at Ellerslie on March 7.”
The favourite for the Sistema, unbeaten filly Lara Antipova, headlines the $225,000 J Swap Matamata Breeders Stakes this Saturday in which she will clash with impressive debut Ellerslie winner Te Encuentro.
Kinnaird, who started favourite but failed in the Karaka Millions, meets the talented Harvey Wallbanger in the $150,000 Fairview Matamata Slipper for the male juveniles on Saturday.
While Chilling Out will miss the Oaks the chances of upset Waikato Guineas winner Autumn Glory heading to the Group 1 are improving.
“We don’t need to make a decision between the Oaks or the Avondale Guineas until at least next Tuesday,” says co-trainer Roger James.
“But at this stage we are leaning toward starting in the Oaks.”
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
