Promising filly Livid Sky shaped up well for New Plymouth on Sunday when she galloped at Matamata on Tuesday morning.
In a relatively quiet training session with no northern race meeting this weekend, most fast work took place on the course proper, which was soft 20 metres out.
Livid Sky had raceday rider Craig Grylls in the saddle when she and stablemate Thunder (Hyde-Richards) worked over 1200m, steady early then picking up momentum to record 1:22.6 for the full distance. They quickened to record 1:04 for the last 1000m and hit the line strongly after a final 600m in 37.2, indicating the Stephen Autridge-trained pair will be at peak fitness for their weekend assignments.
With minor placings in strong three-year-old filly company at her last three starts, Livid Sky will be hard to beat in Saturday’s Oaks Prelude, while Thunder will be an interesting runner when he steps up to a middle-distance in the Taranaki Cup.
Prise de Fer (McNab) prepared for the Taranaki Cup with sound work over 1200m in 1:18.3, 1:03.5 and 37, while Oaks Prelude candidate My Lips Are Sealed (Bosson) followed him over the same ground in 1:19.8, 1:04.6 and 37.5. Captured By Love (Bosson) and Dream of the Moon (McNab) prepared for the Taranaki 2YO Classic with a well-held 800m in 54.4 and 40.2. The talented Te Akau pair look bright ahead of the weekend.
Shavasana (Prastiyou) and Paul David (C Grylls) took time honours on the course proper when hitting out strongly over 1000m in 1:03.9 and 36.4. Shavasana, a Super Seth filly with Kurtis Pertab, has been in two trials and is entered to make her debut in the Taranaki juvenile feature. New Plymouth open 1400 candidate Brando (Bosson) strode over 1000m in 1:07.8, quickening from the 600m in 37.7.
New Plymouth entries Madam Le Fay (Mullineaux) and El Fuego (Jacobsen) worked well over ground, cutting out their last 1200m in 1:23.6, 1:07.5 and 37.4. Also over ground, Asterix (Rastrick) recorded 1:23.4, 1:08.2 and 38.5. He runs next in the open middle-distance that has been added to next Wednesday’s Matamata card. Devoted (McNab) and Glitzy Glory (Bosson) left 1200m behind in 1:19.9, 1:06 and 37.2.
Adam I Am (McNab) and Choose ’Em Big (Fawcett) were never at top over 1000m in 1:11.8 and 39.6. Over the same distance, last-start maiden winner El Viento (Bosson) returned 1:07.8 and 39.4, while Darci’s Angel (S Singh) and Give Me Hope (Kareem) took 1:10.2 and 39.8. Dragon Leap (Farr) was kept to 1000m in 1:15.6 and 44.2, and Grail Seeker (Tynan) 1:14.8 and 44.
On the No. 2 sand, Uderzo (Rastrick) prepared for New Plymouth with 1000m in 1:04.4 and 37.2, while Brian Lamont (Hillis) ran the same trip in 1:05.5 and 37.4.