Australian group 1 form goes head to head with the best of New Zealand’s winter warriors at New Plymouth tomorrow and that should have punters firmly in the camp of Mustang Valley.
Last season’s Livamol Classic winner heads to Taranaki tomorrow for the $50,000 Seaton Park Open 1400m, the race trainer Andrew Forsman decided on instead of last Saturday’s Tarzino Trophy.
Mustang Valley would be one of the few horses to contest a standard Saturday race at New Plymouth just three starts after the AU$4 million Doncaster at Randwick, in which she ran fifth to Mr Brightside in April.
“We know she is a class mare but I didn’t think 1400m on a good track was ideal for her at Hastings last week so we are using this race to bring her on before she goes back to group 1 racing in the Arrowfield and the Livamol,” explains Forsman.
“She has come through her last run in the Foxbridge [6th] well and while this run will tighten her up she will go well.”
The race could become a battle between Mustang Valley’s class as she is still on the way up against the pure guts and winter fitness of Justaskme.
The pair have met before as Justaskme finished second to Mustang Valley in the Livamol last season on the heavy track they both favour but he was five and a half lengths behind her that day, so as brave as he is, the mare has his measure on class.
He will be the fitter tomorrow though, and both have apprentice claims so their weight difference is only 2.5kg. That should be enough to see Mustang Valley triumph.
Mustang Valley won’t be Forsman’s only group 1 winner racing tomorrow as Aegon takes on Mr Brightside, Alligator Blood and Princess Grace in the AU$750,000 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.
“He has been going well but the big help this week is a small field as he won’t get so far off them,” explains Forsman. “Small fields can be tricky as he is a horse who would prefer a genuine tempo but he was running close up in very similar races to this last year so I think he will run well.”
The Cambridge trainer also has reps at Taupo today where he thinks debutante Eloise (R4, No.6) could be a horse to follow.
“She is a sister to a good mare called Francesca, who won a Group 3 for us, and while they always get better with a start or two she can be competitive this week too.”
Romancing The Moon (R7, No.1) who returns to today’s Taupo meeting. She beat Skew Wiff in the Group 1 Levin Classic back in March last start, with her carded 61.5kg topweight trimmed by 3kg with Jess Allen aboard.
Waikato’s newest feature race will carry the name of one of racing’s great innovators.
The $350,000 race to be held at Te Rapa on Legends Day will be known as the Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic.
Open to any horse that was a maiden on August 1 this year there are six “win and you are in” races in the lead-up to February 10.
“Sir Patrick loved this particular day at Te Rapa and for his family to see fit to sponsor this exciting new race in his name is just fantastic,” said WTR chairman Bruce Harvey.
“We could not think of a better start for this innovative new race than to have Sir Patrick remembered in this way.”