Racing: Sargent issues orders for Te Rapa

Matamata trainer John Sargent is hoping he can add both Judgement Day and Virginie to his talented classic roster after their assignments at Te Rapa today.

Stablemates Sharvasti, Ciara and Everswindell are already heading toward the newly positioned New Zealand Oaks at Trentham in March.

Virginie is short-listed to follow, while Judgement Day has a nomination for the New Zealand Derby the same month.

But Sargent knows both 3-year-olds need to win, or be desperately unlucky today, to be a serious chance to continue with those rich targets.

Montjeu filly Virginie, a half-sister to Auckland Cup winner Able Master and VRC St Leger champ Accumulate, is the pick of Sargent's Te Rapa team.

The $250,000 yearling-buy, a tall big-striding filly who is only going to get better with time, looked to be worth every cent when clearing maidens at Trentham over 1600m on December 3.

But the wheels came off the black-type dreams at Ellerslie next time out in Sculptor's Great Northern Guineas on Boxing Day.

Sargent, however, is confident that Virginie's effort to beat just two horses home that day was much better than it looked.

"She just didn't handle that way round the first time," said Sargent.

"She's really been as good as gold since then.

"From the inside gate Vinny Colgan will ride her where she lands, and with Olympic Light and Roman Chariot in there, we should get a good line on where we are with the classic races."

Virginie was rated a $20 chance on the TAB's fixed-odds market yesterday for both the Derby and Oaks, but Sargent is still hedging his bets on which direction to head.

Stablemate Judgement Day, a maiden Bahhare gelding, does not have the same options, and even less time to impress if he is going to emerge as a Derby runner on March 4.

A last-start second behind Our Flying Beauty at Hastings over today's distance suggests, however, that he could still make the grade.

"He's drawn a bit wide but he has trained on the right way since Hastings," said Sargent.

Of the other Sargent runners today, Grand Legacy looks one of the toughest to beat in the last event.

Sargent was impressed by her last-start fifth to Cypress Point, a horse destined for higher grades, and said the mare had improved in her work since.

Stablemate Winning World (race two) ran a nice last-start fourth at Rotorua.

But Sargent said he still had to find another gear today or he was in danger of needing a new home.

"He needs to start producing a win soon - he's had plenty of chances."