After coming within inches of the upset of the season in Saturday’s $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), rising star Belle Cheval is set to head to Sydney for the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m).
Lara Antipova’s star continues to rise, with the exciting filly extending her unbeaten streak to four when taking out Saturday’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie.
In what could be her swansong in New Zealand, class mare Legarto put in her best performance at Ellerslie when she stormed home to collar a game Waitak and claim the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) on Saturday.
Pam Gerard started the week by farewelling her stable star Savaglee and she is hoping to end it on a high when she heads to Ellerslie on Saturday to line-up two runners in the second running of the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m).
Te Akau’s black type troops will be out in force on Saturday with leading hopes chasing down elite level honours and a quartet of contenders in the hunt for the richest purse on offer at Ellerslie.
Group One winner Savaglee has been retired from racing and a new home is being sought for the four-year-old entire as he transitions to a career at stud.
Group Two performer Checkmate will head to his home track of Matamata this weekend for a mile test before trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott look to step him up over more ground.
