Horse racing: Lollapalooza returning to Ellerslie for mammoth Boxing Day meeting

Lollapalooza is already proven at Ellerslie and returns there next week for the huge Boxing Day meeting. Photo / Kenton Wright

Graham Richardson and Rogal Norvall’s star filly Lollapalooza is set to be joined in the Group 2 Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day by her rapidly emerging stablemate Fleeting Star.

Given Lollapalooza’s penchant for the Ellerslie track, the Matamata training partners were keen on the 3-year-old feature even before she finished second to Well Written in last month’s Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas.

That’s where she won the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) in September, followed by a close second in the Group 3 Sunline Vase and a luckless fifth in the Group 2 Soliloquy Stakes.

Fleeting Star threw her hat in the ring for the Eight Carat Classic when clearing maiden grade at last week’s Ellerslie twilight meeting, having also finished third there twice beforehand along with second placings in her only two other starts.

“She’s a filly that we’ve always liked and hadn’t done much wrong in her four previous starts, so she deserved that win last week,” Richardson said.

“We’ve had a race like the Eight Carat in the back of our minds for a while, and now that’s cleared maiden grade she deserves her chance at black-type now.”

Fleeting Star, a daughter of former leading 2-year-old Cool Aza Beel, who Richardson bid $80,000 for in Book 1 at last year’s National Sale, is part-owned by a Richardson Racing Syndicate, as is Lollapalooza, whose $30,000 price tag from Book 2 of the same Karaka sale makes her a genuine bargain.

After seven starts, the El Roca filly’s stake earnings stand at a tick under $250,000, and her co-trainer is looking optimistically to upcoming features.

“I was very proud of her second in the 1000 Guineas. There’s no doubting Well Written’s class, but our filly never stopped trying and had all the others covered over the final stages.

“She had two weeks off after getting home from Christchurch and her work since coming back in has been very good.

“She’ll run in the special trial before the first race here on Friday and that should top her off nicely for Boxing Day.

“Vinnie [Colgan] stays on her in the Eight Carat and we’ve booked Opie [Bosson] for Fleeting Star.”

As New Zealand Bloodstock sales graduates, both fillies are qualified to run in the TAB Karaka Millions 3YO and the NZB Kiwi.

“Lollapalooza has had those races on her programme right through and if Fleeting Star continues to step up we’d have to consider her as well.”

Richardson and Norvall, who produced Britannia Gold for a narrow but impressive fresh-up win at Te Rapa last Saturday, will have relatively light representation at Friday’s home track meeting.

“The best of ours is Buccino, who kicks off a new campaign in one of the maiden 1200 races. We’re happy with the way she’s coming to hand.

“She’s a 5-year-old now and has a had a few starts, but she’s been placed in half of them and when you combine her experience and maturity, her turn can’t be far away.”

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk