Branciforti targets Cambridge race in build-up to Polytrack Championship defence

Branciforti will head to Awapuni in August aiming to repeat her win in last year's Polytrack Championship (1400m). Photo / Kenton Wright Race Images

Synthetic specialist Branciforti will commence her path towards defending her crown in the $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1400m) in August when she heads to Cambridge on Wednesday.

The Sir Peter Vela-bred and owned mare took out the Awapuni feature in convincing fashion last August and will be out to replicate that feat in six weeks.

Trained at Te Rapa by David Greene, Branciforti has shown a penchant for the polytrack, winning four of her eight starts and earning more than $90,000 on the surface.

“She really grows another leg on that synthetic track, she loves it,” Greene said.

“She seldom goes a bad race and we are expecting her to be very competitive again.”

The daughter of Belardo will contest the Kylie Little Racing 1300 at the midweek meeting, where she will be ridden by Michael McNab.

She heads into her first-up assignment with good trial form, taking out her 950m heat at the track last month over Group 2 performer Witz End.

“She hasn’t really shown that in a trial over that kind of distance before,” Greene said.

“We dropped her out the back, which isn’t really her style either, and she still circled around them and won really impressively.

“The main target for her is that innovation race at Awapuni, the same one she won last year.

“She might just have this one run on Wednesday and we’ll go into that in a fairly fresh state.

“There aren’t that many top races on the synthetic, so you’ve got to make the most of it.”

Greene will be hoping to take his weekend form into the meeting, having secured a win apiece at each of the northern meetings over the weekend.

The Vicki and Terry Pascoe-bred and raced Timetoplaythegame kicked off proceedings at Te Rapa on Saturday when scoring his maiden victory in the Andrew (Ledge) Leadbeater Memorial (1400m).

“He has been running in good form and had been knocking on the door, so it was good for him to get his maiden win out of the way,” Greene said.

“He had to fight very hard to get there but he showed a lot of toughness in the finish.

“He might go to Ruakākā for the special conditions ITM mile. He will qualify off the back of that win on Saturday.”

A day later at Matamata, stablemate Elle McFab was impressive when winning on debut in the Tim Wealleans 1200.

“I thought that was a great run,” Greene said.

“She’s still a little bit green and has got a bit to learn. She definitely didn’t do it the easy way but she was still really strong in the finish. There’s a lot of upside with her.”

– LoveRacing.NZ