MATAMATA
Navigator and Paddy The Farmer shaped up well for their Wellington Cup day engagements when galloping impressively at Matamata on Tuesday morning.
After further rain the course proper 18 metres out was soft, verging on heavy.
Navigator (Harris) and Paddy The Farmer (Sherwood) were paired over 1000m, which they cut out in 1:06.4, finishing off with 600m in 37.5. Navigator has trained on well from his bold second in the Telegraph and even with topweight promises to be hard to beat in Saturday’s open sprint. Stablemate Paddy The Farmer has been freshened since finishing third at Trentham in late December and is in forward order.
Miss Jones (Harris), another from the in-form Cole stable, worked as if she’s well up to a repeat of her last-start Trentham win when working solo over 1000m in 1:06.7 and 37.3. Ellerslie weekend entry Sassy Lass (P Singh) got through the ground well when striding over 1200m in 1:24.5, the last 1000m in 1:09.6 and 600m in 40.2.
Origin Of Love (Azrul) prepared for Saturday’s Lowland Stakes with well-contained work over 1000m in 1:07.8 and 39.2. Ellerslie entries Savoir Faire (Shafiq) and Altari (Bosson) strode over 1200m in 1:22.4, 1:05.5 and 37.2, while Sonoran (Parmar) did well over the same ground in 1:21.7, 1:06.5 and 37.8.
Remutaka Classic candidate Dubai Gold (Parmar) went with Khando (Hassman) over 1200m in 1:20.6, 1:06.2 and 38.8. Others to work over ground included Ellerslie entries The Underbelly (Clapperton) and Bradley (Bragg), who returned 1:24.4, 1:08.9 and 38.6, Clara Bow (Tynan) 1:23.4, 1:08.8 and 38.5, and Los Altos (S McKay) and Just Call Me Jonny (Parmar) 1:21.6, 1:06.6 and 37.5.
Queen’s Evidence (Hassman) worked well ahead of the Trentham three-year-old sprint accompanied by When Stars Align (Berge) over 1000m in 1:05.6 and 37.4. Ellerslie two-year-old stakes entry Te Encuentro (P Singh) looked bright in her work over 1000m in 1:05.6 and 37.2.
Race rivals Hawea (Paswan) and State The Obvious (Garcia) covered the same ground in 1:06.9 and 37.5, which was sound work later in the session. Dragon Blossom (Hassman) and Jaws (Parmar) ran the same trip in 1:06.4 and 37.8, while Volunteer (Wratten) and Stay Frosty (Garcia) returned 1:08.7 and 39.4, and Papparazzi (Parmar) and Wolf God (Smith-Chaston) 1:09.2 and 38.8.
Others to work over 1000m included Burnerphone (Goodwin) and What Next (Berge) in 1:08.4 and 39.3, Cheerio (Harris) and Ploy (Sherwood) 1:08.8 and 38.6, Pilates (Bosson) and Petite Rocher (Hassman) 1:06.2 and 37.4, Panther (L Singh) and Peerless (Loki), and Lodi Dodi (Paswan) and Absolutely Fabulous (Garcia) 1:05.6 and 38.5.
On the No. 1 sand, Wellington Cup candidate Santa Catalina was let off with an easy task by co-trainer Shaun McKay, cantering her first round and then warming into her work from the 1000m in 1:10.8 and finishing off with 600m in 39.5. She is in good order to repeat her stablemate Wolfgang’s 2025 Cup win.
On the No. 2 sand, Up The Anti (L Singh) prepared for Ellerslie over 1200m in 1:23.8, 1:08.6 and 38.5. In similar work Vendabelle (Winter) returned 1:23.4, 1:08.4 and 38, while stablemate Astrum (Winter) wasted no time over 1000m in 1:03.2 and 36.8.
Ellerslie entry Perugia (Sanson) left 1000m behind in 1:05.6 and 37.2, and Fly My Wey (M Brosnan) covered 1200m in 1:22.8, 1:09.4 and 38.6.