Landlock (in red) is one of the favourites for the $175,000 Hawkes Bay Guineas. Photo / Race Images
Cody Cole is keeping his options open with his talented 3-year-old Landlock as wet weather threatens to halt his initial plan to contest Saturday’s Timberspan Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Te Rapa.
Landlock is the highest-rated galloper in the $175,000 contest, having narrowly gone down to Return To Conquer in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) and placing in a Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) as a juvenile.
The son of Merchant Navy resumed in the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) earlier this month and pleased Cole with a fourth-placed finish, having been held up at a vital stage in the straight.
“It was a good effort, he didn’t really get a chance to get out and go through his gears to build momentum,” he said.
“He was coming off heels at the 200 and had to pick himself up, which I thought he did really well, especially with the way the race was run, it was hard for them to make ground.
“It was a good kickoff point, he raced like he is looking for a little bit further and his manners were good, so he’s only going to be better for that run as a first good blowout.”
While the Hawke’s Bay Guineas is the natural next step for Landlock, Cole said he won’t hesitate to scratch if the wet weather continues.
“My biggest concern is the track at the moment,” he said. “If it did get to the really testing, heavy going, we’d be looking at other options.”
Cole has nominated four other runners for the feature meeting, including Astoria Brooke, who looked impressive when cruising to second in a competitive trial at Ellerslie a fortnight ago, taken out by stakes winner Glamour Tycoon.
“It was a super trial, she was vulnerable fitness-wise and came to the end of her run inside the 100, but we expected that, it was just a nice hit-out for her and she did it effortlessly,” Cole said. “She’s only gone forward since then.”
The American Pharoah mare completed her last campaign with back-to-back wins on off tracks, but Cole will consult with her owner-breeders before assuring her place in the St John’s College Foundation 1400.
“I have to speak to Brent and Cherry Taylor, we will make that call together. But based on the way she has been working on off-going, I would say yes [to starting],” he said.
Coming off a well-deserved spell will be Renovations, who secured more valuable black-type when third in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) in January. She continued that form through to mid-May, and Cole couldn’t have been happier with her overall efforts at 3.
“She really deserved that break, she had a long preparation and trekked all over the country and did a really good job for the crew involved in her,” he said. “She was hardly ever out of the first four.
“She’s a really genuine little racehorse and I think she’s come back better from the break. We had her in last weekend but scratched from a wide gate, so we were able to get some more work into her with the extra week up our sleeve.
“I’m a bit worried about the track with her, the better side of heavy is all right, but it would be a question mark if it was really bottomless.”
She is entered for the Craigs Investments Partners Sprint (1100m) at Rating 75 grade.
Cole will also be well-represented across the Central Districts, particularly with the progressive Atmospheric stepping out at Ōtaki on Friday in the Ōtaki Tyre Repairs Handicap (1600m).
The son of El Roca was an eye-catcher resuming at Ellerslie, being held up for most of the straight before flashing home into fourth over 1300m.
“He was super first up, he just didn’t get the breaks when he needed them,” Cole said. “He was really solid to the line and doing his best work late.
“The 1300m is obviously short of his best, his most recent run was in the Trelawney Championship Stakes [Group 3] over 2100m, and he’s only taken steps in the right direction this time in.
“It’ll just be whether we put him on the truck and trek all the way down there for a heavy track, but there are limited options around, so we’ll be considering it.”
His stablemate Oneira will being heading down regardless of track conditions, taking her place under a light weight in the New World Ōtaki Handicap (1200m).
“I don’t think she’s as capable on wet tracks as she looked to be when she was younger, but on the way she’s working, she looks like she can run a race,” Cole said.
“She was a little bit disappointing at Ruakākā, but I just felt that tough run from a wide gate at Tauranga might’ve just knocked a bit of the nip out of her. She’s been freshened up since then and is working well, so we’ll be looking to run her either way down there.”
Of his remaining runners, including a couple heading to Waverley on Sunday, Cole noted Dance For Her (Te Rapa) and Arrowfield Stud-owned filly Cheerio (Waverley) as ones to follow.
“Dance For Her was a big run out of her grade at Taranaki, she was fresh-up over a mile on extremely testing going and that condition just told,” he said. “She’s bounced through it well and worked well this morning, so provided she cops the two-week back-up, I think she’ll run well again.
“Cheerio is one that I am really looking forward to, she’s probably still six months away from really seeing a bit more from her but I think she’s got a bright future, however long it takes for us to get there.”
– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk