Racing: Royal Flower ready to blossom in Taranaki

Royal Flower will contest Grangewillliam Stud Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes on Saturday. Photo / Peter Rubery, Race Images Palmerston North

Capable mare Royal Flower has a tidy first-up record and she is again forward in condition to open a new campaign at Hawera this weekend.

The lightly raced six-year-old will resume in Saturday’s Group 3 Grangewillliam Stud Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) on a preparation focused on adding to her black-type record.

Trained by co-breeder and part-owner Gail Temperton, Royal Flower has won six of her 26 starts and a number of placings includes a third in last season’s Group 3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2100m).

The daughter of Proisir hasn’t raced since finishing midfield after an interrupted run in the Listed Ag Challenge Stakes (1600m) in early June, but a recent trial success on her home track at Foxton indicated her readiness to return to competition.

She will be partnered by Leah Hemi, who knows the chestnut well, and also backing Royal Flower’s claims are three winning runs and a couple of placings from previous fresh-up performances.

“She’s been described as a swimmer, but she’s not and she was in this race last year and it was too heavy for her then,” Temperton said.

“I am pretty happy with her, she’s really good and has come back bigger and stronger.”

Temperton has yet to lock in Royal Flower’s programme after the weekend, but stakes races will be top of her wish list.

“I’m a breeder and that’s my challenge this time around with her,” she said.

“We’ll see what happens on Saturday first, but it would be good to have another try at the [Manawatu] Breeders’ Stakes.”

Royal Flower is out of the Ishiguru mare Ishidanzin with a pedigree page that features the French Group Two winner Captain Rio, who sired Group One winners Terravista, Brazilian Pulse and Il Quello Veloce during his tenure at Westbury Stud.

Temperton also has a two-year-old half-brother by champion sire Proisir to Royal Flower.

“He’ll probably be ready as a late two-year-old or early three-year-old,” she said.

Royal Flower’s promising stablemate Never Look Back will also kick off on Saturday in the Energy Ford Hawera Handicap (1400m) with apprentice Liam Kauri to take the ride.

He was placed in a recent trial and is expected to come to his best form as he progresses to staying trips.

“He’s not a 1400m horse and he’ll get back up to a distance he likes more in the future,” Temperton said.

A son of Shocking, Never Look Back is a three-time winner and showed his staying potential last preparation with third placings in the Group 3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) and the Listed Marton Cup (2200m).

He also finished a creditable eighth in the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) and the Trentham feature is again likely to figure in Temperton’s plans for the gelding.

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk