Affirmative Action is one of the classy 3-year-olds on show in the Sarten Memorial at Te Rapa today. Photo/Kenton Wright
Last year’s James and Annie Sarten Memorial set Savaglee up for Group one glory in Christchurch, and Matamata trainer Pam Gerard is hoping to follow a similar blueprint today.
Gerard guided Savaglee through a superb spring campaign that saw the son of Savabeel win four of his five starts.
That included the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Matamata, the Sarten Memorial – which was rescheduled and moved to Te Aroha due to Te Rapa’s Labour Day meeting being abandoned – and a crowning triumph by almost three lengths in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.
A year on, Gerard finds herself back in elite 3-year-old company again. She will be represented in Monday’s Sarten at Te Rapa by last-start Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) winner Affirmative Action along with his talented stablemate Romanoff.
Affirmative Action finished third on debut at Taupō in August, then stepped on to the big stage to take out the Colin Meads in only the second start of his career.
He defied $70 odds with a powerful on-pace performance, stamping himself as a genuine contender for the New Zealand 2000 Guineas on November 15. The TAB currently rates him an $8 chance for the $700,000 classic.
Unpredictable events with weather and tracks gave Gerard a few headaches with Savaglee last spring, and it has been a similar story 12 months later.
By the time Affirmative Action steps out on to the Te Rapa track for the Sarten on Monday, he will have gone 51 days since his last-start success in the Colin Meads. He was a race-morning scratching from the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1600m) on a Heavy9 track at Te Rapa on September 27.
“Everything’s been good with him in this campaign, apart from the weather,” Gerard said. “It’s been far from ideal, but it is what it is and we can’t control it.
“He’s done some nice bits of work at home, and he went up to Auckland for an exhibition gallop between races last Saturday. That brought him on nicely and I think he’s going into Monday as fit as we can get him without lining him up on raceday.”
Despite being a son of The Everest (1200m) winner Yes Yes Yes, Gerard believes Affirmative Action will appreciate the step up to 1400m on Monday. She is also unfazed by his draw of gate 10 in a 12-horse field.
“He’s a big, strong horse who relaxes beautifully in his races, so I don’t think he’ll have any trouble going further,” Gerard said.
“And the fact that he’s a big, rangy horse who likes to get rolling means that being out a bit wider keeps him out of trouble a little bit. I don’t see it as a disadvantage.”
Stablemate Romanoff showed promise as a 2-year-old last season, including a victory at Ōtaki last November despite veering to the outside in the home straight. He later contested the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m).
Gelded in between times, Romanoff returned to win a trial at Te Rapa in September before resuming with a third behind Lubeck and Cream Tart at Rotorua on October 12.
“That was a good enough effort fresh,” Gerard said. “They probably didn’t go as quick as we expected them to and we got well back, but he finished it off nicely.
“He’s a horse that’s got some talent. He trialled against horses like La Dorada in his younger days and was very competitive. His coltiness just started to get to him towards the end of that preparation. He’s back as a gelding now and showing more promising signs.”
George Rooke will continue his Colin Meads Stakes-winning association with Affirmative Action in the Sarten on Monday, while Vinnie Colgan takes the mount on Romanoff.
Gerard has kept both Affirmative Action and Romanoff among the nominations for the 2000 Guineas, and provided they perform well on Monday, she is keen to take them both to Christchurch.
“That’s definitely the plan, and depending on what happens on Monday, hopefully we can get them there,” she said.
Gerard’s Te Rapa team also includes Dubai Gold, who will kick off her 4-year-old season in the See You @ Te Rapa Tavern (1500m).
The daughter of Pride Of Dubai was a maiden winner over 1600m at Te Aroha in February, then ran third in the Gr.2 Lowland Stakes (2100m) and second in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m). She pushed the season’s standout 3-year-old staying filly Leica Lucy to a long neck in the Trentham classic.
“She’s coming up super, I’m really happy with her,” Gerard said. “She hasn’t had a trial, so she’s going in a bit fresh over 1500m, which won’t be easy. But going down to Rating 75 grade and having the mares’ allowance makes it easier. Opie (Bosson) will ride her.
“This race is a good starting point. We’ll get through her first couple of runs, and then we’ll hopefully be aiming at some more black type over longer distances a bit later on.
“We’re in no rush and we’ll just see how she’s going. If she comes up as well as we hope, she may end up heading over to Australia at some stage.”
Gerard’s other Te Rapa entries are last-start maiden winner Vougeot in the Keith Melville Celebrating 37 Years @ Te Rapa (2400m) and first-starter The Frenchman in the Listen Live on Sportnation.nz Maiden (1300m).
“Vougeot is a really nice horse that I have a bit of time for,” Gerard said. “He won very well at Avondale last start. It’s a pretty quick step up to 2400m in only his fifth start, which is a big ask, but he has that sort of distance written all over him.
“He’s very much a horse in progress, still quite mentally immature even though he’s getting there physically. But I really like him as a staying horse.
“The Frenchman won nicely at the trials. He’s got a sticky draw on Monday, so I’m not 100% sure whether he’ll be starting.”
– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk