A friendship formed during time spent together as cadets at the Irish National Stud could reap rewards with exciting two-year-old filly Ronda at Otaki on Friday.
Cambridge trainer Mark Forbes and Singapore's Justin Wong were room-mates during five months spent at the Irish stud-farm in 2008, Forbes attending as the recipient of the Keith Taylor Memorial Scholarship.
"Justin and I were room-mates at the Irish National Stud when I went on that scholarship and we've stayed friends ever since," Forbes said.
Wong races O'Reilly filly Ronda out of Forbes' stable and both men are hoping for a bold showing when she makes her debut in Friday's Courtesy Ford Premier 2yo (1000m) for jockey Leith Innes.
Innes was aboard for her most recent trial when Ronda ran out an easy 5 1/2-length winner.
"She jumped and ran and while she was a bit green, she was still pretty impressive," Forbes said.
"She's still got a lot to learn but she's sound and as long as she travels there all right and she can put herself in the race, I think she'll go close. But a lot of things can go wrong with two-year-olds."
Wong purchased Ronda for $55,000 at the Karaka Yearling Sales earlier this year under his Red Hare Bloodstock banner and the Karaka Million eligible filly has already been the subject of several offers on the back of her impressive trial victory.
Forbes is into just his third full season of training but has already produced Our Rokkii to finish second in the Gr.3 Taranaki 2yo Classic and fourth in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes before he was sold to Australian interests, so he has a ready-made yardstick.
"This filly has got just as much ability but she's probably not as professional as he was. Once the penny drops with her though, I think she can run right up to what he did last season," said Forbes, who revealed Ronda was named after star UFC fighter Ronda Rousey.
"She's got a bit of the same attitude too," Forbes quipped.
Meanwhile, Forbes intends upping the ante with Ronda's stablemate Preetha Varma, a maiden winner at Tauranga last month.
"She'll go to the three-year-old race at Ellerslie next week and if it all goes well there, we'll look at the Eight Carat [Classic] with her," Forbes said.
"I'm very happy with her and the form out of that Tauranga race has proved very strong."
Third-placed Torba has since won twice at Riccarton over New Zealand Cup week, while fourth-placed Chachar followed a maiden win with a last-start Te Rapa second placing.
