Aerovelocity nominated for Japan; Strong Matamata book for Innes; O'Marilyn sold to Australian interests; McLeod booked for Margin Trader.
Aerovelocity nominated for Japan
Top Hong Kong-based sprinter Aerovelocity has been nominated for the Gr.1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m) at Chukyo in Japan on March 29.
The Paul O’Sullivan-trained gelding defeated a top international field of sprinters in the Gr.1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin in December and was beaten by a short head in Sunday’s Chairmans Sprint Prize (1200m).
The Japanese leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, the Takamatsunomiya Kinen carries a purse of ¥202,350,000.
Strong Matamata book for Innes
South Auckland jockey Leith Innes is sitting pretty for a juvenile stakes double at Matamata on Saturday.
Innes rides Listed Reid & Harrison Slipper $2.20 favouriteSelfie and $3.50 Gr.2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes favourite Serena Miss, giving him a royal chance of claiming both two-year-old features.
Trained by RIchardCollett, Selfie followed a win and a placing in his first two starts with a last-start second in the $1 million Karaka Million at Ellerslie.
The Graeme and Debbie Rogerson-trained Serena Miss followed a second placing and a win with a last-start second in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham. She has since trialled in smart fashion at Cambridge.
Innes' ride in the other feature, the Listed Marks Ewen& Associates Kaimai Stakes, is second favouriteDelveen.
O'Marilyn sold to Australian interests
Group One winner O'Marilyn will head to Australia to be mated with Fastnet Rock after a deal was completed this week.
The Gr.1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes winner is unlikely to race again, according to theinformant.co.nz.
The website reported that the deal was brokered by Kiwi bloodstock agents Paul Moroney and Glen Harvey, along with Australian agent James Bester, who said O'Marilyn was well-suited to a mating with Fastnet Rock.
"Her beautiful head, along with her overall quality and athleticism render her a perfect mate for him physically," he said.
“Her Danehill-free combination of O’Reilly and Zabeel is likewise a great pedigree match for Fastnet Rock.”McLeod booked for Margin Trader
Victorian jockey Rhys McLeod will shoot for his second New Zealand Group One win after he was booked to ride Matamata three-year-old Margin Trader in Saturday week's Gr.1 $750,000 TV3 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie.
McLeod, who guided King's Chapel to Group One success in the Otaki-Maori Weight-For-Age in 2004, answered the call from trainers Michael Moroney and Chad Ormsby to partner the promising Tavistock gelding Margin Trader.A debut winner at Bendigo, Margin Trader has yet to win in New Zealand, though he ran meritorious races for fifth placings in the Gr.2 Great Northern Guineas at Ellerslie and in the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas at Te Rapa.
He was trapped wide throughout when ninth in last week's Gr.2 Avondale Guineas.
