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Another hefty task for top CD mare
Jess de Lautour, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • October 30th, 2025 1:30 pm
Marotiri Molly will contest the Valley Plumbing Redcraze Bowl (1400m) at Tauherenikau on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
Marotiri Molly has paid the price for her high rating in the Central Districts so far this spring and it will be a similar story in Saturday’s Valley Plumbing Redcraze Bowl (1400m) at Tauherenikau.
The Group Two-winning mare is one of the top-rated gallopers in the region, particularly in the sprinter-miler category, meaning despite a mare’s allowance she has carried topweight in both starts so far this campaign in open company.
Despite her hefty impost, she performed with her typical consistency when third first-up, and after missing the Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) due to the heavy surface, finished fifth in her back-up option over 1200m at Trentham.
Assigned 61kg on Saturday, trainer Matt Dixon has elected to claim with apprentice Toni Davies on board, with the prospect of a better track and up to 1400m also in favour of his mare.
“I’ve been really happy with her, she’s had a lot of weight in both of her races and Saturday is a bit the same,” said Dixon, who trains her at Foxton.
“It wasn’t my intention to be running in all of these open handicaps with a lot of weight, this is obviously the third time, but we targeted the first one where she went really well going into Hawera. It was just too heavy so we scratched out of that, and since then, it’s been a bit tricky.
“She got home well at Trentham and her sectionals were great, she had the best 400 and 200 of that race and hit the line well. Being a bit older now, she’s probably looking for that 1400 to a mile especially after those couple of runs at 1200m.
“The weight makes it tough but the spread isn’t quite so bad this time and I think the key will be the 1400m. That suits her a lot better now and hopefully with the forecast the track will improve.
“All of her best form was on Good 4 tracks, so we’re hoping it can come back and we’ll see a different story at that distance.”
The daughter of Per Incanto won last year’s Redcraze Bowl on her way to contesting the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe, where she stormed home to finish third behind La Crique.
That race is on Dixon’s radar again back against her own sex at set weights and penalties.
“The main thing for Saturday is that she’s on trial for Pukekohe in three weeks, she ran in the Auckland Breeders last year so if she goes well, she’s more than likely to go there,” he said.
“There are some good races coming up at level weights, it’s just been tough for her as not an overly big horse carrying the weight. It’s just the way things have gone really.”
