MATAMATA
Little Bit Of Love and Grande Gallo confirmed their fitness for Te Rapa this weekend with impressive work together at Matamata on Tuesday morning.
Galloping 20 metres out on the heavy course proper, Little Bit Of Love (L Singh) and Grande Gallop (Loki) set off at pace from the 1000m mark to run the distance in 1:08. They maintained their momentum all the way to the line, finishing together with a final 600m in 38.2, good time in the testing conditions.
The Wexford stablemates will both line up on Saturday in the open 1300m at Te Rapa, where Little Bit Of Love’s liking for the venue has been underlined by a fresh-up win and placings in his three subsequent starts there. Grande Gallo, untried to date at Te Rapa, has been freshened since her below-par last-start effort and is in the right order to bounce back.
Tristar (Loki), Wexford’s third candidate for the Te Rapa sprint, was also in good form in a solo gallop over 1000m in 1:08.8 and 39. She was a winner in her most recent start at that venue.
Honorable (Hassman) and O’Baby (L Pertab) shaped up well for Saturday’s Ryder Stakes at Otaki when paired in solid work over 1000m. After going keenly through the early stages of their gallop, the completed the distance in 1:07.2 and did well to run the final 600m in 39.
Taumarunui Cup lightweight Gold Currency (L Pertab) worked with Sense Of Timing (Hassman) over ground, timed from the 1200m in 1:25.5, 1000m in 1:09.6 and the last 600m in 39.2. Also over ground, Te Rapa entry Lotus (Sahwan) and gallop mate Buccino (Wratten) were timed from the 1200m in 1:23.4, 1:09.4 and 40.2, while Ever Charm (Holliday) and The Darzi (Leighton) recorded 1:26.2, 1:10 and 40.6.
Whistler (Mullineaux) and Laura (Mo) did good work ahead of Te Rapa when cutting out 1000m in 1:10.2 and 40.3. Tregor (J Collett) ran the same distance without being pressured in 1:12.2 and 40, while Carooba Mawhooba (Burdan) and Wack Away (Goodwin) did similar work in 1:12.4 and 40.8.
Also over 1000m, Lomasi (Mullineaux) and Little Orchid (Leighton) returned 1:14.2 and 41, Mineshaft (Parmar) 1:14.8 and 42, and Caitlyns Wish (Stumbles) 1:15.2 and 41.8. She looks fitter for recent racing.
On the No.2 sand, Taumarunui Cup candidates Fly My Wey and Quick Fire looked bright in their work ahead of the Te Rapa feature. Fly My Wey (M Brosnan) was timed from the 1200m in 1:21.2, finishing off with 1000m in 1:05.6 and 600m in 37.9.
Quick Fire (Rastrick), who finished one place ahead of Fly My Wey when runner-up in last week’s Whangarei Cup, ran the same trip in 1:20.4, 1:05.2 and 37.2. Stablemate Delorean (Rastrick) got through 1000m in 1:06.8 and 37.
Te Aroha Sunday entry Zacabasso (Wratten) did sound work over 1200m in 1:23.2, 1:07.6 and 39.4. Horses preparing for spring racing with light work included Lupo Solitario (Leighton), who finished off with 600m in 40.4, Alabama Lass (Winter) and Sarti (Fawcett) with 1000m in 1:15.3 and 600m in 41.6, and Levakia (Winter), who breezed from the 800m in 57.8 and 41.8.