Promising youngster a black type contender

Technician won’t be seen out again this season and he will be aimed toward an early crack at a black type contest in the new term.

The Wanganui-trained two-year-old made a belated start to his career when he finished an encouraging third in the Listed Castletown Stakes behind the highly-regarded duo of Volpe Veloce and Honey Rider.

“I thought he would go pretty well as he had improved quite a lot after his trial,” trainer Nicola Marshall said.

“I was going to run him at New Plymouth, but he pulled a muscle rolling in his box the night before so I had to scratch him and that definitely left him a run short.”

Technician is now in the paddock and he will return in the spring for a preparatory run before the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas.

“That’s the plan after he has a month off,” said Marshall, who trains the son of Coats Choice for prominent Singapore-based owner Constance Cheng.

“She’s one of my biggest owners – I’ve got seven for her at the moment.”

Meanwhile, the stable is looking for improvement at Wanganui on Thursday from Mischievous Mis when she steps out in the Turakina Clan Highweight 1600.

“I’m hoping the blinkers will wake her up – I don’t think she’s been trying very hard and she’s just been going for a fun day out,” Marshall said.

Mischievous Mis, who has been unplaced in both her starts since resuming, has only won two races but she was placed in two open handicaps last winter, including a runner-up finish behind Madonna Mia at Wanganui.