Grail Seeker meets a hot field in Sydney on Saturday. Photo / Peter Rubery
Grail Seeker has added two Group 1 victories to her record this season and she will attempt to make it a third when she heads to Randwick on Saturday to tackle the All Aged Stakes (1400m).
The lightly-raced mare has just had three runs this season, winning the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings last September before doubling up in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham in January.
She didn’t handle the firm going when sixth in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa a month later and has been freshened ahead of her hit-and-run Australian mission.
She travelled over to Sydney on Sunday, and trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have received positive reports ahead of her Easter weekend assignment.
“She did a good, solid gallop in Matamata on Saturday, and we think her work was as good as it has ever been,” Scott said.
“She went over on Sunday and Linda Burton, her regular attendant, accompanied her. She has really settled in well and it has just been quiet work on her arrival. We will just canter her through to the weekend. Linda is really pleased with her and she knows her really well.”
While pleased with his mare ahead of her Australian debut, Scott is wary of the star-studded line-up and her tricky barrier of 12.
“We would have liked to have got a bit better barrier to aid our chance, but hopefully she can step up on the weekend and give us a good line going forward,” he said.
“She is going as well as she can go, it’s just the quality of the field is somewhat stronger than what she has faced before.
“We didn’t anticipate it would be this strong a field, but it just means we are going to get a really good line on next season and where we set our targets.
“Jason [Collett] is a good jockey, and he is in terrific form at the present time, and he is going to get off and give us a good lead forward too.”
Grail Seeker will continue the one-and-done theme of her season and return to New Zealand in preparation for the spring after her All Aged Stakes run.
“We are looking to bring her straight home after this,” Scott said.
Back in New Zealand, the stable will be represented by a quartet of runners in the Gr.3 Manco Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday, including Little Bit Of Love, Mosinvador, Uderzo, and Desert Mystic.
“Little Bit Of Love loves when there is a bit of moisture in the ground,” Scott said of the last-start winner. “He just needs a bit of luck and he’ll get a bit of one of these races.
“Mosinvador is a promising young horse that is only getting better with age. He is going to be in these races next season, but it might just be 12 months away.
“Desert Mystic got caught wide from a wide gate last time and didn’t draw much better on the weekend (16). He is another that gets around Ellerslie really well and he loves a bit of give in the ground.”
On the undercard, Scott is also upbeat about the chances of Monday Melody in the Trackside.co.nz (1600m), Reptak in the Trackside.co.nz 1200, and Grande Gallo in the Join TAB Racing Club 1200.
“Monday Melody is racing super consistent,” Scott said. “He has been drawing pretty wide gates and he just needs a good bit of fortune in the run to give him his best chance.
“We think Reptak will sprint well fresh. He is owned by the same connections as Waitak and he trialled really well up there [Ellerslie] not so long ago.
“Grande Gallo gets around Ellerslie well and is improving with racing. She is a big, burly mare that has certainly taken a bit of racing to get fit, and we think she is close to top fitness. With any kind of moisture in the ground that will only improve her chances as well.”
– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk