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Southern mare radiant ahead of TAB Mile
Joshua Smith • November 10th, 2025 2:22 pm
The Radiant One will back up in the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) at Riccarton on Wednesday | Photo: Race Images South
The Radiant One ran home well to finish runner-up behind Captured By Love in Saturday’s Gr.3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton, and trainer Robert Dennis is hoping she can go one better when she returns to the Christchurch track on Wednesday.
The Ascot Park horseman was rapt with her weekend effort and said she has come through the race well and will back-up in the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m).
“That was her target when she went out for a spell at the end of last prep. To run a great second to a very good horse was very pleasing,” Dennis said.
“She is staying at Anna Furlong’s stable, who has been a great host, and she seems to have come through it well, I don’t need to do much with her in between times.”
The Radiant One will carry just 53kg on Wednesday and will jump from barrier five, and Dennis believes she will handle the step-up to a mile.
“The weight helps and she has got a good draw in barrier five,” he said. “It never really looks like she has seen out a strong mile, but she is older now, is more mature, and the way she rounded it off over 1400m on Saturday, the mile doesn’t look like it is going to be a problem.”
On the undercard, Dennis will also line-up Sacred Dream in the Wuhan Jockey Club Premier (2000m) and Roc 'N' Ready in the Halls Cold Chain Logistics Three-Year-Old Premier (1400m), with both runners also taking last-start second placings into the midweek meeting.
“Sacred Dream went within a half-head of winning last time,” Dennis said. “It’s good to see her back to her best on top of the ground. She has come through it really well. She is an awesome horse that goes out and tries her best every time. Bruno (Queiroz, jockey) sticks with her, which is good.
“It was great to see Roc ‘N’ Ready back to form last time as well. She is a three-year-old filly with a lot of ability, but she still trying to work things out.
“We served it up to her a bit as an early season two-year-old and then backed off and gave her a bit of time. She looks to have come through that last run really well and has taken a lot of confidence from it. She is marching around the stable like she owns the place now. Hopefully she is going to be a good chance on Wednesday.”
Looking ahead to the weekend, Dennis is set to have a few of representatives on the final day of the New Zealand Cup Carnival at Riccarton on Saturday, but the weather will dictate what number that will be.
“If it does rain, On Song will go for the 75 1200m, otherwise we have The Cluster in the 75 1600 and Stolen Magic in the 82 2600m.”
Dennis is currently up in Auckland inspecting two-year-olds ahead New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready To Run Sale, which commences at their Karaka sales complex on Wednesday.
“The vendors all seem pretty upbeat and there seems to be enough people around,” Dennis said. “Hopefully we are a chance of picking up one or two that we will have available for syndication.”
