Horse Racing: Cashla Bay has form, wet-track credentials for Te Rapa feature

Cashla Bay has improved every start this campaign, which bodes well for Te Rapa tomorrow. Photo / Race Images

With five races under her belt, Cashla Bay is one of the more seasoned runners in Saturday’s Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes at Te Rapa, and trainer Andrew Forsman is hoping that works in her favour.

Bred and raced by The Oaks Stud, Cashla Bay made her debut in the Group 3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m) at Ellerslie in February, where she beat just one runner home.

She improved on that result when placing in her subsequent three starts, before breaking through for her maiden victory over 1400m at Matamata last month.

Forsman was rapt with the confidence-boosting victory and is hoping the daughter of U S Navy Flag can now earn some lucrative black-type this weekend before heading for a spell.

“She has had a fair bit of racing and a fair bit of travelling, but we also wanted to make her a winner this campaign, she has been so genuine right the way through,” Forsman said.

“It was good to tick that box the other day at Matamata and hopefully she can get some black-type.”

Cashla Bay will jump from barrier six on Saturday and will be ridden by veteran hoop Vinnie Colgan.

“It all sets up really nicely for her,” Forsman said. “We have got a good, experienced rider in Vinnie on [her] and she has got the ability.

“The big thing with her is that she jumps and puts herself in the race and she can handle all track conditions. There’s no reason why she won’t have every chance.

“She has been up a fair while now and this has always been the target, and hopefully she can go well.”

Forsman will also be represented in the race by Engine Of War, who will carry the silks of Australian micro-share syndicator MyRacehorse.

The Circus Maximus gelding placed on debut over 1100m at Waverley last week, and Forsman is hopeful of a bold showing with that experience under his belt.

“He is a very capable horse, he just lacks experience,” Forsman said. “We had to take him down to Waverley the other day without the benefit of a trial just to get his campaign going.

“He is a horse we think a lot of and I think he will make a nice horse into the spring of his 3-year-old year.”

Engine Of War is the first horse Forsman has trained for MyRacehorse, and he said his future is likely to be in Australia post Saturday’s run.

“They have just come on board and bought into him,” Forsman said. “At this stage, I’d say his future lies in Australia.”

On the undercard, stablemate Force Of Nature is a dual acceptor for the Modern Transport Group (1200m) and Peter Kelly-Bayleys 1400, with Forsman to decide on which race he will contest closer to Saturday.

“We put in a late nom for the 1200m, which came on the radar because of the smaller field size and he is probably better-weighted there,” Forsman said.

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk