“She is a good mare and we have had people asking about her for a slot in the Race by Grins ($1 million, Cambridge April 12) but we haven’t made a decision on that yet.”
Rogerson says what appeared a surprise decision to back Solidify up in the Derby at Ellerslie this Saturday was actually always his plan.
“If he came through the Otaki race well he was always going to go there and Jonathan Riddell will ride him again.
“He has always been a good horse but he didn’t race kindly in the spring because he had a twisted testicle so gelded him to get that out.”
Riddell was filling in for a sick Ryan Elliot on Solidify and will keep the Derby ride as Elliot partners stablemate and third favourite Just As Sharp.
Elliot also missed the winning ride on another stablemate Infer, who won the R75 over 2200m at Otaki like a potential Cups horse. He will be given the opportunity to prove that.
“He will go to the Auckland Cup next and might even have another run at Ellerslie this Saturday too,” says Rogerson.
Loyalty for Lynsey
Lynsey Satherley has retained the ride on Auckland Cup favourite Asterix after her perfect steer in the Avondale Cup nine days ago.
Satherley has barely ridden for the Lance O’Sullivan/Andrew Scott team but produced a gem on Asterix to win and O’Sullivan said their team is happy to have her back on in the Cup on March 9.
“Nobody could have ridden that horse better that Lynsey did last week and I’d love to see her win the Cup,” said O’Sullivan.
With new Auckland Cup topweight Prise De Fer likely to start the weights for the race won’t rise as dramatically as they would of had he pulled out so Asterix will only cary 53kgs as he could not be re-handicapped for his Avondale Cup win.
More of Molly
Superstar filly Molly Bloom’s New Zealand career is not over after all.
The 1000 Guineas winner was thought to be heading to an Australian trainer after a half share in her was sold to Australian-based owners last week but plans to spell her struck a hitch.
“We put her in the paddock for a week and she put 20kgs on,” explains O’Sullivan.
“She was just doing too well so we are putting her back in work and suggested to our Australian partners we aim her at the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders at Te Aroha.”
They agreed so Molly Bloom is likely to head straight into the $400,000 Group 1 for fillies and mares over 1600m on March 30.
“It looks a good target and then I’d say she might miss Queensland in the winter and resume her career with a new trainer in Australia next season.”
Molly Bloom could meet Saturday’s $400,000 Trackside Classic winner in Le Crique in the Breeders as her connections are likely to turn down an invite to the All Star Mile and stay in New Zealand.
“If she went great at Te Aroha we could consider Sydney or even Queensland,” says co-trainer Simon Alexander.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
