Racing: Rogerson maps out plans for stable stars

Opie Bosson will ride his favourite mare Katie Lee (outer) at Te Teko tomorrow. Photo / Simon Baker

Driving home from the Karaka sales yesterday, Tuhikaramea co-trainer Graeme Rogerson had an enviable programming dilemma.

The handicapper's latest rating - expected late yesterday - would dictate where Rogerson heads next with exciting 4-year-old mare Queen Sabeel, who signed off on her 3-year-old career so impressively at Te Rapa on Saturday.

Now back to her best after pulling up lame in last season's 1000 Guineas, Queen Sabeel's success also capped another stellar season for Waikato Stud sire Savabeel.

Rogerson said the horse he trained to win the Cox Plate now boasts 44 individual winners, surely a record for a New Zealand stallion with just two crops.

Meanwhile, Dating's brave Ryder Stakes win the same day at Otaki over the highly rated Zennista also had Rogerson torn over whether to push for the O'Reilly filly to head across the Tasman in the spring, or be set, instead, for the Filly of the Year series in New Zealand.

Rogerson and co-trainer, wife Debbie, have the Waikato Stud-owned filly nominated for the Victorian fillies' classic, the group one A$500,000 One Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 13.

"We'll more than likely stay home and set her for Christchurch and all the three-year-old of the year races here - Garry and Mark Chittick are great supporters of the industry," said Rogerson.

"But she's a quality filly who is certainly up to taking on the Australian fillies."

Rogerson also feels Dating will be even tougher to beat when she strikes firmer footing and more ground than the 1200m she's tried so far.

He said the Ryder Stakes hadn't originally been on Dating's radar, but she'd done so well since winning at Te Rapa on June 12, she desperately needed the run.

Dating had to survive a protest from runner-up Zennista on Saturday.

Zennista's rider Kelly Myers claimed a bump from Dating in the final stages cost her the race.

Dating's pilot James McDonald said both fillies were at fault for the contact and he felt his mount was drawing clear again inside the final 50m.

"It would be very difficult to say the bump was of sufficient significance to warrant a change of placings," said stipe Ross Neal.

With luck, Rogerson said Dating would be unbeaten.

She finished fourth on debut at Matamata but rider that day Opie Bosson - in Melbourne at the weekend to watch the All Blacks beat Australia - said she extinguished her chances when she got her head stuck under the barrier before the jump.

The premiership winner is expected back to ride stablemate Katie Lee in a 1000m barrier trial at Te Teko tomorrow, the Waikato Horse of the Year's first public outing of the season en route to the Cox Plate.

Rogerson said that providing she gets footing to suit, the high-class 4-year-old is likely to have her first raceday appearance in the group three Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa on August 14.