Karen Zimmerman will play a strong hand in this weekend’s Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes and she’s loathe to split the stable representatives.
Slice Of Class, Coastal Express and Gwynethanne will go head to head at Trentham in a bid to give the Otaki trainer a second taste of success in the mare’s feature, which she won in 2001 with the top-class performer Cinder Bella.
She was ridden by Lance O’Sullivan and they also combined to claim Group One titles in the Captain Cook Stakes and Kelt Capital Stakes.
Zimmerman’s Trentham-bound runners all have strong form claims on Saturday and she rated the trio on a par.“They are all very well and three good each-way chances,” she said. “Slice Of Class wasn’t helped by the track at Otaki and she wasn’t quite right afterwards, but she had some massage work on her back and she’s good now.”
The Group Three winner of the Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes in the spring, Slice of Class finished fourth in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile before she was unplaced in the Gr.1 Haunui Farm WFA Classic on her home course.
Gwynethanne is also proven at black type level with a runner-up finish in last season’s Gr.2 Travis Stakes and he returned on a positive note from a more recent break to place in the open sprint at Hastings.She finished third behind the talented Mighty Solomon with Coastal Express a close second after a bold front-running effort.
“They both went super and have done very well since,” Zimmerman said,“Slice Of Class may be go up for the Breeders’ Stakes at Te Aroha while Gwynethanne will possibly go to the Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes and the Travis again.”
Coastal Express is a possible contender for next month’s Listed Christchurch Casino Easter Cup at Riccarton.
