Racing: Maven Belle stars with win after nine-month absence

Cruz Missile was a narrow winner in the Gingernuts Salver yesterday. Photo / Trish Dunell

An already stellar three-year-old season went up a notch or two at Pukekohe yesterday with the return of one star and the emergence of a genuine Derby contender.

But as good as the rare Sunday meeting was, the classic crop is set to go into overdrive in coming weeks.

Three of the seven races were won by three-year-olds with bigger targets in the offing, and the most impressive was last season’s Juvenile of the Year Maven Belle.

Having her first start since winning a Group 1 at Awapuni in April, as she missed the spring with a setback, Maven Belle was dazzling lumping 58kg to victory over 1200m, swishing from well back to a clear lead within 200m.

As the winner of five of her six starts, she would usually be close to top pick for the best of our three-year-olds, but the crop is developing into one of the deepest in years, with Legarto, Licketysplit, Sharp N Smart, Pier, Prowess, Mr Maestro and Maven Belle’s stablemate Wild Night all outstanding.

Being a Te Akau home bred, Maven Belle isn’t eligible for the Karaka Classic Mile on Million night, so will contest the Almanzor Trophy instead against another Group 1 winner in Pier.

Trainer Graeme Rogerson has confirmed Sharp N Smart will resume in the Wellington Guineas this Saturday and go through the weight-for-age Herbie Dyke against the older horses at Te Rapa, and then back there for the NZ Derby on March 4.

He is the $5 favourite for the Derby but Cruz Missile rocketed up that market to second favouritism with a win in the Gingernuts Salver yesterday, one of the first 2000m plus races of the summer for the boys.

Cruz Missile continued a remarkable record for co-owner Lib Petagna with stock of Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel. Petagna has owned 11 black-type winners by the champion sire, one he bred but 10 purchased as yearlings.

Runner-up Devildom and third-placed Bitcoin also look Derby contenders the way they hit the line as the staying ranks start to take shape.

Cruz Missile completed a three-year-old double for trainer Stephen Marsh after his filly Mazzolino was too slick for the boys in a strong but slowly run 1500m yesterday.

Marsh is plotting a black-type path away from many of the elite three-year-olds, with Mazzolino heading to the $100,000 Gold Stakes at Trentham on January 28, which fillies such as Legarto, Maven Belle and Prowess will miss after racing a week earlier.

Marsh wasn’t the only trainer with a double yesterday, as Ōtaki partners Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard produced Dapper and Hold The Press to win their sprint trips. Dapper’s victory confirms his spot in the Karaka Million, a race the stable won with Vespa in 2014, while Hold The Press will also return to Pukekohe for the Westbury Classic on KM night but is likely to meet last-start Railway winner Imperatriz.