No Plan Be (left) will be flying the local flag in the Northland Cup at Ruakākā on Tuesday. Photo / Therese Davis
Ruakākā trainer Michelle Bradley will line up a trio of runners at her home track on Tuesday, including No Plan Be, who will attempt to secure the Trigg Construction Northland Cup for the local horsewoman.
The 6-year-old daughter of Tarzino won over the same track and distance last month, giving Bradley the confidence to press on to her home cup, with Courtney Barnes retaining the ride.
“She has trained on well since her win – it was good to get that result,” Bradley said. “She is very well and has just been ticking over.
“I have put Courtney back on, she knows her and rode her perfectly last start.
“The barrier draw [10] is a bit of a concern. I would have preferred to have drawn in but that is just what you have got to deal with on the day.
“We just need to get her out of those gates and have her handy enough.
“We would like to step her up to 2400m, but we need to get through tomorrow first and see how we go.”
Bradley will also be represented by New Castle in the Lion Red (1600m).
“New Castle hasn’t run since Pukekohe on the 6th of December. He was meant to be running at Ruakākā on the 16th but sustained a little injury, which he is over now,” Bradley said.
“He is fit and well. I think it is a nice enough field and he has got [apprentice jockey] Sam McNab on, which gets a little bit of weight off him.
“I think he should go a nice race tomorrow.”
Stablemate Shockatillatap has drawn the ace marble in the Moore Equine Transport (1400m) and Bradley isn’t overly enamoured with the gate.
“It [draw] is not ideal,” she said. “A lot of people love the inside draw, but it just doesn’t work in his favour. He is a big horse that likes a bit of room.
“Courtney [Barnes] has ridden him quite a bit in the past and knows him well, so I am sure she will get him out and get him on his way and find a nice path. He should improve with the run.”
Meanwhile, Bradley will head south to Tauranga on Thursday where she will have Bosch running in the Dane Crockford Ray White Greerton 2100.
The six-win gelding is on a path towards the Group 2 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie on Champions Day in March and Thursday will prove to be an important stepping stone towards the two-mile feature.
“We are looking at an Auckland Cup campaign with him. Obviously, we have got to get through Thursday and see how he pulls up,” Bradley said.
“The track down there at the moment is a Soft 6 and if it stayed like that we would be more than happy, but no doubt it is going to dry out a bit.
“He is very well. He ran over 1600m at Te Rapa on the 20th of December, which was more of a fitness run than anything, and he is fitter for the run under his belt. Hopefully we get a nice barrier draw.”
Bradley said Bosch will likely have two more runs before the Auckland Cup and she believes he will be ideally suited by the two miles.
“There will be one more after this one and then we will aim towards the Avondale Cup [Group 3, 2400m] with him and then on to the Auckland Cup,” she said.
“It is race-by-race with this horse, but he is well and happy and that’s the main thing.
“He is a Pentire out of a High Chaparral mare, so he is bred to stay and we would love to get him up over the two miles. We think he would love it.”
While looking forward to this week’s assignments, Bradley is waiting to see if her promising filly She’s Not Saint can make the cut for the $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie on January 24.
Purchased by Bradley out of Highline Thoroughbreds’ 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $55,000, She’s No Saint has placed in both of her starts to date, including over 1100m at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
While hopeful of gaining a berth in the Karaka Millions, Bradley said the Group 3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m) at Ellerslie seven days later looms as a logical Plan B.
“She’s No Saint ran on Boxing Day and finished a huge third,” Bradley said. “We are sitting tight with her and are hoping to get into the Karaka Millions.
“We have planned a path and we didn’t want to give her another run. If we can get into that we would be pretty happy, but if we don’t there is a Group 3 race the following week at Ellerslie.
“She is a pretty exciting filly and I think once she gets to 3 she is going to be even better.”
– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk