Auckland features attract Weir’s attention

Champion Melbourne trainer Darren Weir might be casting his net wider this season in search of further Group glory.

Weir enjoyed an outstanding season in 2015-16 when he broke a Commonwealth training record with 347 winners across Australia.

They famously included a Gr.1 Melbourne Cup shock with the Kiwi-bred Prince Of Penzance and Weir also retained his metropolitan and country premiership titles.

He was one of a number of offshore trainers targeted by the Auckland Racing Club in their bid to bring Australian flavour to next year’s feature events and Weir has responded with multiple nominations.

He has entered Taiyoo, Real Love, Lord Van Percy, Shamkiyr, High Church, Loresho and Auvray in the Gr.1 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup; Taiyoo is also in the Gr.3 Laser Plumbing Te Puke City of Auckland Cup and Stellar Collision is in the Gr.1 Sistema Railway.

“The hardest thing for us is that the Auckland Cup is two days before the Adelaide Cup, but we’ve nominated a few for Auckland and we’ll see what happens – it’s early days yet,” said Weir’s racing manager Jeremy Rogers.

He has been with the stable for the last six years and he previously enjoyed a 10-year stint with Waikato Stud.

“Taiyoo ran second in the Adelaide Cup a couple of years ago and he’s a good, honest stayer,” Rogers said. “He won the Kyneton Cup last time out and he’ll run in the Ballarat Cup on Saturday.

“The big draw card for Real Love would be a Group One win on her record, but she’s still in the paddock so we’ll have to see if there’s enough time for her to be ready.”

Railway entry Stellar Collision has won four of his seven starts. “He’s part-owned by some guys from Christchurch and the form around him is really good – he beat Bon Aurum last season,” Rogers said.

Another champion trainer, Chris Waller, has nominated three horses for the Auckland Cup, including past winner Who Shot Thebarman.