Mark Twain is already a winner at Flemington last year.
Mark Twain’s Melbourne Cup preparation looks to have hit a small snag, with forecast rain likely to lead to his withdrawal from Sunday’s Clotworthy Racing Open 1600 at Te Aroha.
“With the weather forecast, he will have to be a doubtful starter, which is a shame because it is a crucial run in a build-up towards Melbourne,” Roger James, who trains the gelding in partnership with Robert Wellwood, said.
“The weather is looking bad, and it is a Heavy10 already, so it is probably unlikely [that he will start].”
The son of Shocking was set to contest last year’s Melbourne Cup, having won the ballot-exempt Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) at Flemington, but a tendon injury last spring curtailed those plans.
He made his first race-day appearance in more than 16 months when he finished last over 1200m at Te Rapa earlier this month, and James was happy enough with the run and has been pleased with his subsequent progression.
“It [the first-up run] was better than expected,” James said. “He ran the third- or fourth-quickest last 200m of the race.
“More pertinent was his work on Saturday in between races at Te Rapa, which was sparkling. I thought it was as good as I have ever seen him work.
“He is in tremendous order, he looks magnificent.”
Sunday’s race was set to be Mark Twain’s last in New Zealand prior to heading to Australia, where he is likely to contest the Group 3 Bart Cummings (2500m) in a bid to gain a berth into the Melbourne Cup.
While nominated for the Group 1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) and Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) in New Zealand, James said they are just insurance policies if the OTI Racing gelding’s preparation is significantly hampered.
“Melbourne is the main aim for him, so they [Howden Insurance Mile and Livamol Classic] are a back-up if something went drastically wrong,” he said.
“If we got put back in our schedule, we might have to use them, but it is very unlikely.”
While Mark Twain is a doubtful starter this weekend, James is more upbeat about sending stablemate Steezy south to Whanganui on Saturday for the Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas (1200m).
Raced by Trelawney Stud, the daughter of Russian Revolution has placed in two of her three starts to date, and James is hoping to snare some black-type with her this weekend with a view towards her future broodmare career.
“We are reasonably committed to send her,” James said. “We felt the fillies race up here might be even stronger.
“It is no pushover down there, she is still a maiden, but a filly of her pedigree and quality, the big aim is to get some black-type with her. If she could do that, it sticks with you forever.”
A day prior, the Cambridge trainers will line up debutant Tikanto in the TCL Earthworks 1300 on their home synthetic track, and James thinks she will thrive on the surface.
“Her work has been very good since she trialled at Te Rapa. I think she will be suited by the poly and looks well-placed,” he said.
Earlier this week, James was pleased with his quartet of triallers at Waipā on Tuesday, including Solid Gold, who was eye-catching when closing late to win her 850m heat.
“She is a big filly that is going to be better with every week and month we give her,” James said. “She has always shown well-above-average ability, and it was good to see her on a good surface where we could see what she had.
“We will just wait for some good footing and work from there, but that won’t be for two or three weeks.”
James was also impressed with the trial of regally-bred stablemate Dance The Night, a 3-year-old Almanzor filly out of Group One winner Stolen Dance.
“It is the first one we have had for them [owner-breeder Gerald Shand],” James said.
“She is a homebred filly that is very dear to them, and we are lucky to be chosen to train her. She will just get better with time. It was a good trial yesterday, she didn’t have a lot of room. Had she had a bit of room, you would have seen her looking even better.”
Meanwhile, James is looking forward to the imminent return of Group 3 performer Zormella.
The Almanzor mare was a late replacement for stablemate Dealt With in the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie in March, before finishing runner-up in the Group 3 Championship Stakes (2100m) at the Auckland track a month later.
She has had the one trial this preparation over 1100m at Taupō earlier this month and is set to kick off her spring campaign at Ellerslie next week.
“She will run at Ellerslie in 10 days’ time,” James said. “She is coming to hand very well, I thought her trial was excellent.
“She is a stronger mare than she was last year, and I think she has got a big future.”
Dealt With, who placed in both the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) and Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) before injury ruled him out of the NZB Kiwi, has made a welcome return to the stable.
“He has just started work,” James said. “He had an injury which put him out of the Kiwi. It was a long time getting to the bottom of it, and I don’t know that we ever did, but he is sound now and he is currently on the water treadmill.”
Stable star Orchestral is enjoying an extended break from racing and James said she will be targeted towards summer and autumn features.
“We purposely have dodged the spring with her,” he said.
“We looked back on her record and she has never had a good spring, so we dodged the spring and she is getting through a lot of good mileage work now, but we are concentrating on summer and autumn racing with her this season.”
– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk