Confidence in colt’s staying ability

The trainers of Cha Siu Bao have high hopes that the smart three-year-old can outrun his pedigree.

“Everything he does has indicated to us that his tendency is to stay so we’re cracking on with him toward the longer distances,” said Andrew Scott, who prepares the colt at Matamata with Lance O’Sullivan.

By Smart Missile, who was a Group Two winner up to 1200 metres out of Ballet Society who won up to a mile, Cha Siu Bao was successful in both of his lead-up races to Riccarton where he finished fourth in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.

“That was a really good performance from him and he enjoyed a nice break after that,” Scott said.

“He’s doing well and, at this stage, we’re hoping to run him at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day in the Great Northern Guineas and then press on.”

Cha Siu Bao’s long-term target is the $1 million Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie on March 4.

Meanwhile, his talented stablemate Glass Slipper is pencilled in for a Boxing Day return.

“We’ll be looking to run her in the Eight Carat Classic, that’s the plan and she has gone very well around Ellerslie before,” Scott said.

The daughter of Pins finished third there behind Manolo Blahniq in last season’s Gr.3 Eclipse Stakes and two runs back she was also runner-up to Astara in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes.

Glass Slipper was subsequently unplaced in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas at Riccarton.