Horse racing: Levante on another level

Ryan Elliot salutes after Levante wins the Telegraph. Photo / Race Images

Trainer Ken Kelso is adamant Levante is the best she has been all season as she prepares to defend her BCD Sprint title in one of the races of the year at Te Rapa on Saturday.

But the two-time Telegraph winner will need to be at her peak, as the weight-for-age sprint brings together most of our galloping glamour girls.

Levante will clash with fellow Matamata stars Imperatriz, La Crique, Dragon Leap, Bonny Lass and Maven Belle, with the Cambridge representation headed by Mustang Valley and Babylon Berlin in a punter’s dream and bookie’s nightmare.

Draws for the 1400m Group 1 come out this morning and Kelso, who trains Levante in partnership with his wife Bev, says that is at least one part of the BCD equation he doesn’t have to worry about.

“I don’t think the draw is as important for us as some of the others,” says Kelso. “She will probably settle in the second half of the field but Te Rapa has a big straight and she has a good record there.”

The last time Levante took on Imperatriz and Babylon Berlin at Te Rapa was in the Railway on New Year’s Day and she had to settle for third, the 1200m a touch sharp and she looked in need of the run.

She has since been to Trentham and run down Babylon Berlin to win her second Telegraph and then chased her home without being pressured in a star-studded 1100m trial at Te Rapa last Friday, so Kelso is certain his mare is at her peak.

Levante was able to settle a handy fourth in that trial, with every spot she can be handier to the leaders on Saturday potentially crucial as long as she can put herself there and not be ridden upside down to secure that sort of run.

“She trialled very well last week and has had some racing and travelling now, so she is spot on for Saturday,” he says.

Levante won’t lack for a decent work partner for her final gallop this morning, linking with arch-rival Imperatriz in what has become something of a habit as the Kelsos have worked in with rival trainer Mark Walker over the summer.

The BCD could end up one of the highest rated New Zealand races of the season with the bonus addition of Group 1 winners in Mustang Valley and Maven Belle alongside Levante, Imperatriz and La Crique, who have won Group 1s this season.

The evenness and depth of the field will mean the barrier draws could have a huge impact on the market but fortunately it looks like the weather won’t because while Te Rapa was rated a heavy8 yesterday fine weather is forecast for the rest of the week and it should come back in to the ideal range.

In another addition of class to the major races at Te Rapa, impressive three-year-old Cruz Missile has been added to the $450,000 Herbie Dyke for Saturday’s meeting.

He joins Sharp ‘N’ Smart and Wild Night taking on the older weight-for-age horses and making the race the most important form reference yet to the New Zealand Derby back at Te Rapa on March 4.

The Kelsos will wait until after Saturday before deciding whether Levante returns to Melbourne for the A$1.5 million Newmarket at Flemington on March 11, a race she finished fourth to Roch ‘N’ Horse in last year.

“We have no firm plans for her. She could go there or she could go to the Group 1 mile at Otaki [February 25],” he says.

Her stablemate Legarto is definitely heading to Melbourne for the Australian Guineas on March 4 and she will trial at Avondale next Tuesday.

“We will decide after that trial whether she needs another or even an exhibition gallop before she goes.”

The stable have a leading Australian jockey in mind for Legarto but will need to wait until that rider’s other obligations are confirmed before a booking is finalised.