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Black-type best in Wexford Stables' sights
Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • May 2nd, 2025 3:33 pm
Wexford Stables’ trainers Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott | Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have already trained more winners this season than any other year in their partnership, and Saturday’s Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa could deliver another milestone for the Wexford Stables team.
O’Sullivan and Scott sit in third place on the New Zealand trainers’ premiership with 68 wins this season. Recent victories by Varjak at Matamata on April 17 and Reptak at Ellerslie two days later have broken new ground for the partnership, whose previous best total was 66 wins set in 2023-24.
That 2023-24 season produced another career-best for the pair with nine wins at Group or Listed level, headed by Group One victories by Molly Bloom in the New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Waitak in the Sistema Railway (1200m).
Now O’Sullivan and Scott are closing in on that mark as well. Waitak’s win in last month’s Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2000m) lifted them to eight black-type wins in the current season.
They have an opportunity to equal their personal best in Saturday’s $80,000 two-year-old feature at Te Rapa, where they will be represented by Do You Just.
Fourth and seventh in two spring appearances, the So You Think colt made a promising return to action this autumn with a second placing over 1100m at Te Rapa on April 13. He finished strongly out of the pack and was beaten by only a short head by Bulgari.
“He’s a colt that we’ve always had a lot of time for, and I think that last-start second placing was a much better indicator of the ability that he’s got,” Scott said.
“He’s improving all the time and growing in experience and confidence.
“He’s gone the right way since his last run and has been working very well. Time will be his friend and he will continue to get better.
"The step up to 1400m on Saturday certainly looks like it will be right up his alley, and we think this race is a lovely chance for him to have a crack at some black type as an autumn two-year-old.”
O’Sullivan and Scott may also consider stretching Do You Just out to 1600m for another Listed feature later in the month.
“The Champagne Stakes is coming up at Ellerslie in a couple of weeks’ time,” Scott said.
“If he was to perform well on Saturday, we’d give a bit of consideration to carrying on and having a shot at that race as well.”
Do You Just is part of an eight-horse contingent at Te Rapa on Saturday for the Wexford team, who will also saddle Uderzo, Little Bit Of Love and Mosinvader in the Prezzy Card Mile (1600m).
That open handicap has received a stake increase to $60,000 due to the inconvenience caused to northern stables by the abandonment of last weekend’s Awapuni meeting featuring the Listed Anzac Mile (1600m).
Uderzo brings strong last-start form into Saturday’s event. The son of Vadamos produced an eye-catching finish for fourth in the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie on April 19, clocking the fastest last 800m, 600m and 400m in the race and finishing less than three-quarters of a length behind Doctor Askar, Tardelli and Electron.
“It was a fantastic run in the Easter,” Scott said.
“His sectionals were very good and he made ground well through the middle. He’s lacked a bit of luck this season and is overdue a win.
"Stepping from Group company back down to an open handicap, he should be a good chance this weekend. He goes well at Te Rapa and is holding up well to this campaign.”
Little Bit Of Love finished a creditable eighth in the Easter, only 2.6 lengths from the winner, and has won three of his six starts at Te Rapa.
“He loves the joint, and any rain will bring him into this race even more,” Scott said.
“He got very wide in the Easter but kept pressing on. Back left-handed at his favourite track, we’d expect him to be very competitive.”
Mosinvader has gone winless in four starts this time in but has performed well in every race. He resumed with a fourth over 1400m at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, then hit a new career high with a third placing behind Orchestral and Mary Shan in the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m).
His two starts since then have produced second placings behind Desert Mystic and Electron.
In his only previous start at Te Rapa, Mosinvader was a second placegetter in last season’s Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m).
“He’s another one who’s lacked a bit of luck this time in,” Scott said.
“His last run for second was really solid. He will only keep getting better with time. We’ve deliberately given him a light four-year-old season, knowing that next year will be his best.
"Being back left-handed suits and he’s a nice lightweight chance.”
