Ladies First to the Auckland Cup

After winning the rescheduled 2016 Wanganui Cup last June, Ladies First has backed up with the 2018 Auckland Cup on Saturday.

The Whanganui and Marton racing scene could well be set alight in 2018 as the industrious O'Leary family are confident they can get two horses in the 3200m Group 1 Melbourne Cup after Ladies First's stunning performance in Ellerslie on Saturday.

Ladies First, who dominated the rescheduled 2016 Wanganui Cup in June last year, overcame crowding and intimidation to power back from the outside and snatch the $500,000 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m).

After the mare was caught out on a limb early, rider Johnathan Parkes pressed forward to get one off the fence on the pace.

The five-year-old challenged early in the run home and rounded off a lion-hearted effort to pip Five To Midnight by a nose with Wildflower a short neck back in third.

"It was such a brave effort," Parkes said.

"I wanted to get handy, but she didn't have the gate speed to get across and I got caught three wide.

"I thought I would let her roll and she fought so hard to the line. It was a very good performance."

Watching it all were proud owners Humphrey and Fiona O'Leary.

Humphrey O'Leary said after dominating Whanganui, they knew they had a good stayer on their hands.

"After the Wanganui Cup, this was the target.

"All the planning the trainer does, we mapped out a good plan and it's come to fruition."

But even O'Leary and New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock were amazed at Ladies First's stamina after she had such a torrid early trip.

"She was posted three wide around one bend and then two bends and I said 'she can't win'," said Sharrock.

"I'm rapt, but I did think she had got beaten on the line. I'm a bit shocked really – I thought she had run second."

"They all thought she was a wet-tracker, but her last three wins have been on firm tracks."

Speaking on Sunday, O'Leary was still pumped up about the comeback win.

"It was those northern jockeys bullying our jockey from down here.

"They didn't let him in anywhere, they pushed him out and kept him out – but that's riding."

Having executed one long term plan, the O'Leary's and Sharrock will now move onto the next – getting Ladies First to Melbourne in November.

"We'll role the dice right through the Melbourne Cup," said O'Leary.

"Do some Hastings races in the Spring, then a find a suitable buildup."

Sharrock confirmed those plans on Saturday.

"We've pulled her out of the Sydney Cup and she'll go to the paddock and then we'll be looking at the Livamol Classic and the Melbourne Cup," Sharrock said.

For O'Leary, this could mean two bites of the cherry at Flemington, as he shares ownership with his brothers of Who Shot Thebarman, who ran third in the 2014 Melbourne Cup behind Protectionist.

So, to put him on the spot, which of these two proud horses would win if they raced each other on equal terms?

"If it was in New Zealand, you'd say Ladies First, in Aussie, they'd back Thebarman – they just love him."

Also on Saturday, Waverley-trained galloper Sergeant Blast made it two from two in his new summer campaign with a comprehensive win in the $35,000 Rural Trading Post Handicap Open over 1600m at Trentham.

The promising 5-year-old had disappointed in the spring and early December after showing ability in a previous campaign in January 2017, with victory over future Group 2 winners.

However, a New Plymouth 1600m victory set up Saturday's win by half a length under South Island jockey Samantha Wynne.

"I said to Wayne [Crowley], who's one of the owners, I don't think he's ever had a run like that," said trainer Sam Lennox.

"We were laughing at the 600m as it was a just matter of if he was on, he was going to be hard to beat."

Lennox will now make plans to move Sergeant Blast up over 2000m.

Additional reporting by NZ Racing Desk