Stromlinien was the first leg of an early double for trainer Andrew Forsman at Ellerslie. Photo / Kenton Wright
If yesterday’s Ellerslie meeting was the last dress rehearsal for the Karaka Millions, then plenty of the biggest names are ready for the glamour night.
But one of the real superstars on show yesterday won’t get his KM ticket stamped for at least a few more days.
The two black type trials before the meeting and the age group races that opened the programme threw up a handful of horses who will be back at Ellerslie in 12 days, headlined by Alabama Lass, Vegas Queen, debutante juvenile winner Stromlinien and her impressive three-year-old stablemate Chilling Out.
But while trainer Pam Gerard was happy with how Savaglee performed when a close third in his 1100m catchweight trial, she will talk to his connections before deciding on whether he goes to the $700,000 Sistema Railway, the Group 1 on Karaka Millions night.
Savaglee led and was run down late in his first trial of the campaign but still got on the wrong leg right-handed, although Gerard says that tends to look worse than it is.
“He has never really loved Ellerslie but while he can look awkward, George [Rooke, jockey] says it doesn’t affect him that badly,” says Gerard.
“We were really happy with how he went and the Railway is still a possibility but first we will get him home and see how he is in the morning.
“Then we will talk and Rick Williams [manager] and Dick [Karreman, owner] and see what they want to do.”
The Railway hasn’t always been on Savaglee’s radar, with Gerard suggesting the BCD Sprint at Te Rapa on February 7 will suit him better, but, with that race set to be very strong, Savaglee could probably do with an outing before it to clean out his lungs.
“So he could even go to the Railway obviously hoping to win but also to bring him on for Te Rapa.”
Alabama Lass is definitely heading to the Railway, for which she is the $5 second favourite, after pleasing co-trainer Ken Kelso with her close second to Sterling Express in the second of the 1100m heats.
“She came home [600m] in just over 33 seconds ... did everything she needed to do so we are happy,” says Kelso.
“She will have three more gallops before the Railway and Craig [Williams] is confirmed to come over to ride her.”
Kelso says Alabama Lass is a better horse now than when she just went down to Crocetti as a 3-year-old in the Railway last season.
“She is stronger and not such a tearaway.”
Vegas Queen thrilled trainer Kenny Rae by winning the Savagles trial, capping a busy 24 hours for Rae, who had been at Kumara on Saturday training Illicit Dreams to win the open sprint.
Vegas Queen heads to the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic for four-year-olds at the Karaka Millions meeting, with Rae buzzing about having a genuine contender in a seven-figure race.
“She is a good mare and showed last season she can run with these horses and she is an even better horse now.”
“I am certain she will get the 1600m of the Aotearoa Classic and I think she will eventually be a 2000m horse.
“I have been away on the Coast all week and the team up here at home have done a wonderful job with her.”
With the Aotearoa lacking much proven recent Group 1 form, Vegas Queen is emerging as a serious contender at $8 in the TAB futures.
Also heading to the Karaka Millions after impressive come-from-behind race wins yesterday will be the Andrew Forsman-trained pair of Stromlinien and Chilling Out.
Stromlinien never looked likely to win the two-year-old race until Craig Grylls found a late gap and Forsman says with the KM Two-Year-Old open, the daughter of Almanzor will be back at Ellerslie in 12 days for her shot at the big money.
So too will Chilling Out, who made it two wins in three starts when surging late off a slow tempo to win over 1500m three-year-old like a filly with options.
“She has a real touch of class and I think she could be competitive off a good tempo in the Karaka Millions Three-Year-Old,” says Forsman, who has moved up to fourth on the premiership with a win every six starters.
Forsman says what Chilling Out does in the KM Three-Year-Old could also determine whether she targets the NZB Kiwi or heads down a New Zealand Oaks path.
King’s English almost certainly booked himself a start in the Almanzor Trophy, the three-year-old sprint on Karaka Millions night with a determined win yesterday, while Ammirati confirmed himself as the leading New Zealand Derby contender with a brave win in the Gingernuts Salver.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.