Promising filly should be hard to roll

Well-related filly Schiaparelli looks poised to add her name to the family roll of honour at Rotorua on Wednesday.

The Tony Pike-trained daughter of Darci Brahma will make her third career appearance in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race, which carries an $11,500 bonus for connections.

Schiaparelli was a close second on debut at Avondale behind Conjuring, who has since finished runner-up to the highly-regarded Okanagan, and after a tardy start at Matamata she recovered well to run third.

“Matt Cameron will ride her after Leith (Innes) was suspended on Sunday and she is very well,” said owner Sir Peter Vela’s racing manager Garry Cossey.

“Tony said she galloped well in her final piece of work before Rotorua and an off track shouldn’t worry her.”

Schiaparelli is a half-sister to five winners, including Saxon (Gr.2 Queensland Guineas, Gr.3 Doomben Classic).

Further rain could, however, see the Vela-owned and Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie-trained pair of Quintessentially (Pomare Electrical 1560) and Libretti (Have Your Function at Arawa Park 1400) reserved for Friday’s Dargaville meeting.

Meanwhile, Australian Oaks-winning trainer Stephen Marsh will be back to domestic business with high hopes for Ugo Foscolo, who will make his long-awaited debut in the Rydges Hotel Juvenile.

“He looks very smart, but he’s not a two-year-old type at all. He’s going to be a lovely three-year-old,” Marsh said.

“He’s a pretty serious horse. If you watch his last trial we let him settle off them and he was very good to the line and has a lot of ability.”

From the first crop of Zacinto, Ugo Foscolo will be ridden by Danielle Johnson for a group of high profile owners including Lib Petagna who races Lucia Valentina and Sofia Rosa.