MATAMATA
After heavy and persistent rain, conditions could not have been much wetter when horses with weekend engagements galloped at Matamata on Tuesday morning.
Most fast work took place on the course proper, where the markers were set at 20 metres.
What You Wish For (Hussain) indicated a return to form this weekend when he and Cease And Desist (Azrul) got through a strong 1200m in 1:22.4, the last 1000m in 1:05.8 and final 600m in 39.
What You Wish For was well below his best at Trentham in his last trip to the races but at his previous start was a close second in his home track feature and can bounce back in Saturday’s Tauranga Stakes. Stablemate Cease And Desist had a confidence-boosting Rating 60 win at his last start and also rates a chance this weekend, holding entries for both Waverley on Friday and Tauranga.
Tauranga Stakes entry War Queen (L Pertab) was paired with Waverley maiden candidate Jachimo (S Collett) over a soundly-run 1000m in 1:08.6 and 39.6. War Queen faces a big step up in grade on Saturday but appears to have trained on well from her last-start Ellerslie win. Jachimo looks a natural improver after a fresh-up third.
Viridian (Hassman) and Petite Rocher (Fong) shaped up well over 1000m in 1:07.2 and 38.5, as did stablemates Talisker (Hassman) and Paravane (Hussain) over the same ground in 1:07.8 and 38.8.
Shoebill (Winter) and Tiantai (Hashizume) prepared for Rotorua on Sunday with a solid 1000m, going keenly through the early stages to record 1:06.5 and finishing off well enough with 600m in 40.4.
Arrazola (McCrissican) and Luvabeel (Melvin) were paired over 1000m in 1:09.3 and 37.9, while later in the session, Lotus (Jodha) and Cosmopolitan (Paswan) did well to complete 1000m in 1:06.6, the last 600m in 40.5, and Tiago (Nishizuka) recorded 1:09.2 and 40.4.
Party Time (S Collett) left 1000m behind in 1:10.5 and 40.2, and Zacabasso (Wratten) and Imperialstatecrown (Paswan) took 1:09.2 and 40.2.
Also over 1000m, Latrelle (Clapperton) was well-held to record 1:12.3 and 42, while in similar work stablemate The Prophet (Bragg) returned 1:12.8 and 42.6, and Roc de Night Away (Watt-Wright) took 1:15.5 and 44.6.
On Monday morning, Wexford Stables’ New Zealand 2000 Guineas pair Coniston (Loki) and Rip Tide (Goldsbury) got through sound maintenance work ahead of their flight south, striding over 1000m on the No.2 sand in 1:05.4 and 600m in 37.2. Both have trained on well from their respective win and fourth placing in the Sarten Memorial.