Racing: Wexford Stables eyes treble in transtasman races

Karman Line will represent Wexford Stables in the Travis Stakes at Te Rapa tomorrow. Photo / Race Images

The question one of New Zealand’s best big-race stables faces tomorrow isn’t if their horses are good enough for a Group 2 treble, but whether the best versions of them turns up.

Wexford Stables trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott are lining up only four horses across two meetings at Te Rapa and Eagle Farm tomorrow, but three of them are starting in their biggest races of the day, all Group 2 events.

Karman Line will represent them in the Travis Stakes at Te Rapa while Dragon Leap (Victory Stakes) and Waitak (Queensland Guineas) are at the same Group 2 level in Australia.

All are well but also horses who have their quirks so could easily win or place, or fail to fire..

Karman Line is in the 2000m fillies and mares race at Te Rapa where her best might be good enough to threaten the favourite Aromatic in an even but not scary race.

Karman Line fans point to her late charging Karaka Million Mile third of 15 months ago as the best indication of her class, but she has yet to win since, albeit only lightly raced.

“She has a lot of ability but she has had some issues in the spring and we are not sure whether she is right back to her best,” admits O’Sullivan.

“She could go a big race here and be a real chance but we are also not sure she will run the 2000m as well as some of them.

“There is only one way to find out and in a couple of starts this season she has been really good whereas in others she has only been okay.”

The favourite is Aromatic, already a Counties Cup winner and who surprised handling a good4 track winning a similar race at Awapuni last start, so is perfectly suited by the weight-for-age conditions and will handle the 2000m better than many of her rivals.

Scott will represent the stable in Brisbane where Dragon Leap meets Aussie sprint stars over 1200m for A$300,000.

Dragon Leap’s physical fragilities have stopped him from showing his best since a dazzling three-year-old summer, often over longer trips than he seems to enjoy these days.

At his best he has been competitive at Group 1 level in Melbourne this season and O’Sullivan talks with a rare confidence about his chances this week.

“The question with him is always is he sound,” says the former champion jockey. “We are happy he is and working really well and we think he can go a good race and be in the money.”

Dragon Leap may not be ideally suited by the weight-for-age conditions against the likes of Private Eye, who ran second in The Everest in October, but his best performance could see him in the money.

Waitak takes on three-year-olds just below Australia’s best in the Guineas and will be better suited than when fifth over 1400m last start on his Australia debut.

But does meet his conqueror that day in The Vowels as well as Kiwi-bred Kovalica, who was an eyecatcher fresh-up when third at Randwick last start.

“He seems really settled over there and in a good place and we are confident he will go a good race but it is a really good field,” says O’Sullivan.

“The carnival up there is a lot stronger than it used to be, with the big NSW stables targeting it and having their own bases there, so it is not an easy place to win.”