KEY POINTS:
Leanne Bertling can remember riding in only one group one race as a jockey.
"I finished fourth in the Easter Handicap at Ellerslie on Royal Pay."
As a trainer Bertling has yet to produce a horse into a group one event.
That changes when Post Thyme walks into
the Trentham birdcage for today's $300,000 New World Oaks and there is a real edge to getting a group one at your first attempt.
Even more of an edge when you know this will be your last race with the horse.
A half share in Post Thyme was sold to clients of Lee Freedman's stable in December and the classy but unlucky filly heads to Melbourne after this race.
"She was meant to go over earlier, but she's kept being unlucky and the Australian owners have been good enough to leave her here for this race," said Bertling.
Bertling has had a small taste of group one success.
"Sixty Seconds won the Arrowfield Stakes in Sydney when I was training in partnership with Roger James and I used to look after Champagne for Laurie Laxon and we know how good her record was."
There are so many factors in favour of Post Thyme when she takes onthe likes of Veloce Bella, Princess Coup, Fuar and Shira.
One is that the flat, open spaces of Trentham will suit her staying style and the step up to 2400m is exactly what she's been looking for. With anything like a decent break she would have won or gone close in the major fillies' races over the holiday period.
"She'll make a real cups horse in time," says Mark Du Plessis, who rode Post Thyme for the first time in the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic at Te Rapa last start.
Veloce Bella and Princess Coup look to be the toughest for Post Thyme to head off. At $8 late yesterday she looked good value.
The biggest question mark for the Trentham meeting is the rain forecast to set in during the day.
The timing of that is critical to results. If it stays away until late a pretty good surface should be experienced.
There will be a few dropping off Sunrize (No 7, R4) after he was a beaten hot favourite at Ellerslie last start, but it was only his second start back over a middle distance following a fairly lengthy break. The sit-sprint tempo of the race didn't suit either. The 2100m of Trentham will suit better than Ellerslie and he is worth sticking with. It's a nice race for Punt Higher (No 1), but the 58kg won't help.
Post Thyme's stablemate and half brother Cadillac (No 7, R6) is worth an each-way look. He did well to finish as close as fifth at Ellerslie last time after getting back in a real sprint-home affair. He is another who will be suited by Trentham. Al Farouk (No 2) has been freshened and Penny Florence (No 3) is a chance on latest form.
Tedriffic (No 2, R7) looks the one to beat in the St Leger and watch for Young Centaur to be the danger.
Tedriffic did well to get close to Tadan at Ellerslie last Saturday and will absolutely love the 2500m distance. Young Centaur is on his way to good things and like Tedriffic is already a winner on this course.
The wide barrier might be a problem but St Verdi (No 10, R9) makes appeal in the big sprint. He showed a lot of improvement in his last preparation, finishing second in the Newmarket at Ellerslie and was only one length away in fourth place behind Donna Rosita in the Railway. He has won three of his four starts when in a fresh state and with 53.5kg could be a real upset chance.
Manten (No 2) should be difficult to contain.
There looks to be plenty of upset material in many of the races at Te Rapa today.
Antipodean (No 5, R2) and La Force (No 1) look a good quinella at short odds early and if there is an upsetter in this race it's probably Outside The Flags (No 4) who was not suited by the tempo of the race at Ellerslie last time.
My Hangover (No 4, R4) is going to be a short-priced favourite and should go close, but watch for runs from Hagar (No 9) if he can get luck from an outside gate and Black Panther (No 2), who has just come back from being trained in Melbourne.
Seppelt (No 2, R5) got the gun draw in the babies race and should be hard to hold out, but watch for Mallinson Road (No 7), unlucky in the draw, but still capable of getting into the trifecta at reasonable odds if lucky.
Sanjeev (No 6, R6) has been one of the most stylish barrier trials winner lately and much is expected of him on debut. He should get the perfect run from an inside barrier.
Stilastar (N o4, R7) was well beaten at Ellerslie last time, but it might pay to forget that and judge her on her good second to stablemate Ististar on this track the time before. Any give in the ground should suit her. Vanderbeel (No 9) went the race of an improver last time.