Stakes event beckons Poetic Affair

Poetic Affair’s form suggests she can go close to a maiden victory at New Plymouth on Thursday with a possible black type assignment to follow.

The three-year-old will take on older opposition in the Fasttrack Insurance Maiden off the back of three bold efforts this preparation.

“She has been running in quite strong maiden fields and if she goes well again then we will look to run her over more ground in the three-year-old race at Ellerslie, she is a staying type of filly,” said Stephen McKee, who prepares Poetic Affair with Eddie Chippendale.

The race they have in mind is the Listed Three-Year-Old Salver over 2100 metres on December 13.

Poetic Affair has been in the money at her last two starts behind Sasanof’s Hero at Ruakaka and Dartmoor at Te Awamutu and both those horses have been subsequent winners.

At her most recent outing at Te Rapa she finished fourth to Tavago, who then came out and won the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes at his next appearance.

While McKee is confident of a bold run from Poetic Affair, he isn’t quite so bullish about Zaburn’s chances in the opening event. The well-related Zabeel filly has yet to beat a runner home in two starts.

“She was very disappointing last time and was beaten a long way out,” he said.

McKee is hoping the New Plymouth track may prompt some improvement from Zaburn, who is a half-sister to the Australian stakes winner and Group One performer Happy Hippy.

“She did win a trial as a two-year-old going left handed and she needs to show something,” he said.

The stable’s other runner is Queenoftheamazon in the closing event and the step up to 1800 metres is expected to suit the mare, who made ground late when resuming at Te Awamutu last month.