Horse racing: Glamour gallopers step out as Australian riches beckon

Legarto winning the Australian Guineas in March.

The rock stars of New Zealand racing return today as they don’t waste a day of the new season in starting campaigns that will almost certainly lead across the Tasman.

The first Te Rapa trials of the season, on the inside track, usually bring out some of the big names but rarely do we see a trials meeting as stacked as what we will witness on the first day of the new thoroughbred racing season.

Almost all the leading contenders for last season’s Horse of the Year honours will be there, with the exception of dual Oaks winner Pennyweka.

Last season’s New Zealand 1000 and 2000 Guineas winners Legarto and Pier signal the return of the Group 1 gallopers in heat 5, a 900m catchweight at 11.22am (approx) and they are followed in quick succession by Karaka Million winner Tokyo Tycon (heat 6) while multiple group 1 winner Imperatriz takes on stablemate Romancing The Moon in heat 9 around 12.14pm.

Lickety Split v Maven Belle is the highlight of heat 10, while Mustang Valley is in the next heat and Prowess returns in heat 12.

One of the superstars of Te Rapa last season, Sharp N Smart, has to wait until later as he will trial over 1100m so is in heat 29 around 4.24pm.

The return of the glamour gallopers provides a huge equine boost to the start of a thoroughbred racing season being welcomed with more anticipation - both on and off the track - than any season in decades.

With record stake increases, the TAB/Entain deal breathing life into the stagnant national betting agency and the looming reopening of Ellerslie, plenty in the code are walking around with a spring in their step.

That momentum would only be boosted by some of New Zealand’s biggest names winning at the elite level again in Australia, as Imperatriz, Legarto, Prowess, Sharp N Smart and Pennyweka all did last season.

For good measure other Kiwi stars like Aegon and Karaka Million runner-up Ethereal Star will trial in Victoria today where their trainer Andrew Forsman has a satellite stable.

Even the Central Districts gets some big-race vibe at today’s Otaki trials where Thorndon Mile winner He’s A Doozy and last-start (albeit 16 months ago) Auckland Cup winner Uareastar also trial.

But most eyes will be on Te Rapa, and then in weeks to come the weather, to see who of the Kiwi elite resumes their race careers here and who heads straight to Australia.

Imperatriz has already been withdrawn from the local spring features as she will headline Te Akau’s new Victorian base and move there in early September.

Trainer Graeme Rogerson says Sharp N Smart has come back bigger and stronger and will resume on September 9 but whether that is at Ruakaka or in the Group 1 Tarzino at Hasting will depend on track conditions.

Co-trainer Ken Kelso has already said he would like to take Legarto to Hastings for the Tarzino but that involvement could also be weather dependant, whereas Pier and Prowess are being earmarked for Australian campaigns.

Most trainers spoken to by the Herald will wait to see how the tracks, particularly Hastings, are shaping up in a month before making any final decisions about where and when they start campaigns that in some cases could involve targeting $10 million or even $20m in stakes.

Just because most of the superstars will head to Australia over the spring doesn’t mean they will be lost to domestic racing with the new $1m 4-year-old race at the Karaka Millions meeting in January a potential relaunch for their second campaigns of the season.

Being open to all horses and not just Karaka sales graduates, the 1600m race for 4-year-olds could still tempt the connections of Legarto, Prowess, Pier and Lickety Split among others as Karaka Millions night goes to a new level.