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Wexford blessed with strong troop of 3YOs
Paul Vettise, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • January 9th, 2025 11:43 am
Photo: Race Images
Wexford Stables are in an enviable position as far as quality three-year-olds go, with an abundance of gilt-edged prospects in contention for summer age group features.
Two of them will step out at Ellerslie on Sunday with Sought After to take on a competitive line-up in the Sistema (1200m) and Checkmate will be in action in the Cloudsoft Accounting (1500m).
The Waikato Stud-bred and raced Sought After is already locked in to represent the Matamata farm in the inaugural running of the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) while fellow slot holder Wexford have yet to make their call.
Sought After was an impressive debut winner at Taupo, a luckless fifth at Te Rapa and was then sixth in the Group 2 Sarten Memorial (1400m) before bouncing back strongly to finish runner-up in a return to the Hamilton track.
“He never handled the ground at Te Aroha and that was his worst run, but back on the good ground at Te Rapa he quickened well,” said Andrew Scott, who trains in partnership with Lance O’Sullivan.
“We’ll put a barrier blanket on him at Ellerslie, he’s been a little slow away and Masa (Hashizume) thought it would be a good idea to help him at least get away on terms, so he’s not on the back foot, especially over 1200m.
“You can’t give them too much of a head start and he should sprint well on Sunday.”
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Checkmate, to be ridden by Warren Kennedy, has won two of his four starts and was most recently third in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m).
“He spent a good part of the race three wide and they didn’t go much of a gallop, but he was strong to the line,” Scott said.
The son of Mongolian Khan is in the mix for the Kiwi, as are a number of other stablemates.
“He’s back out to the 1500m and hasn’t drawn that well a lot will depend what happens and how he quickens home as to whether we go a little further and get out to the middle distances or concentrate on the shorter races,” Scott said.
“We’re keeping all options open, Tristar is running on Friday (at Tauranga) and if she bounces back then she’ll come into consideration as well.
“Prosegur, who runs in the Karaka Millions Mile (3YO, 1600m), is another and there’s Sethito as well.
“We don’t want to pigeonhole them and want to get them all their opportunity to express their ability and try to do the right thing by the horses. They will tell us where they’re best placed.”
Tristar wasn’t helped by a slow getaway when unplaced in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and has since been freshened with a trial to ready her for Friday’s Christine & Jana Ray White Greerton (1200m).
The stable will also have smart four-year-olds Tanganyika and Tomodachi in action at Tauranga in the MJ @ Ray White Greerton (1400m) and the Social Club Greerton (1200m) respectively.
“Both of them have been patiently handled and showed a lot at three,” Scott said.
“Tanganyika stays in the same grade and goes up in weight in a stronger field and he’s very honest, a really genuine racehorse.”
He was a last-start winner at Te Rapa while Tomodachi won three on the bounce last preparation to earn a trip to Queensland and finished midfield in her only outing at Ipswich.
“She had a good rest after Brisbane and she’s coming to hand well with two trials,” Scott said.
“She will keep getting better with age and more experience as well, we think a lot of her.”
