Trepidation.
Paul and Kris Shailer are approaching Ellerslie today with a degree of trepidation when a stakes-performed member of their team returns to racing.
The Matamata trainers have no doubt about the talent possessed by a mare that has already won three times during a brief career, but they are cautious about any lingering effect from a disastrous last trip to the races.
Trepidation will resume following an enforced break in the Rating 85 Stella Artois 1200 with a possible group one summer goal in mind.
"She's good to go and we'll just have to wait and see if she has come back after what happened at Hastings and her confidence hasn't been knocked," Paul Shailer said yesterday.
"She's been out in the paddock trying to forget about that and at her best she would have to go close to winning."
Trepidation finished second in the Lightning Hcp at Trentham in the autumn before a break and resumed against the open sprinters at the Hawke's Bay spring carnival, but was severely checked out of contention.
"She's hard to get a line on in her trackwork and she struggles to get out of three-quarter pace, but she does look good," Shailer said.
"If she can win or run second that would guarantee a start in the Telegraph, which is her aim."
A result today would serve as some compensation for the stable it was forced to scrap plans for a start in the group one feature at Trentham with Forefront, who finished sixth in the Newmarket Handicap on Boxing Day.
"He had to win and he didn't have a lot of luck up the straight and pulled up very lame," Shailer said.
Meanwhile, Cambridge horseman Stephen Marsh is counting himself fortunate to still have two top 3-year-old prospects after a disappointing Boxing Day meeting at Ellerslie.
Procurement lost her unbeaten record after she all but fell when unplaced in the Eight Carat Classic and in the following race Lucia Valentina did come to grief in the Great Northern Guineas.
"It was a day to forget, but we're lucky we've still got both the fillies - it could have been a lot worse," Marsh said.
"Procurement missed the kick slightly and then got poleaxed and was lucky not to go down.
"She pulled up great and still looks terrific so she'll go out for a couple of weeks and then have one lead-up run into the Mr Tiz Trophy on March 8."
Marsh also feared for Lucia Valentina's safety after she fell when she clipped heels in the Guineas and was relieved yesterday to see the filly free in her action.
"She walked out perfectly and we got the chiropractor to run over her and give her a few little tweaks," he said.
"We won't be risking her, but we'd like to run in the Royal Stakes and have another crack at some black type. It will also give her some confidence before she goes to Australia.
- NZ Racing Desk