Bobbie Lewis For El Roca
El Roca will tune up for his first Group One start of the season with a lead-up outing in the $A200,000 Gr.3 Bobbie Lewis Quality Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on September 13.
“We thought about the Memsie, but that’s a tough one first-up and he’s got a long spring ahead of him,” co-trainer Trent Busuttin said.
“He’ll be trialling this Friday and kick off in the Bobbie Lewis and on to the Rupert Clarke. We’ll look at the options after that, whether he goes up in distance or not.”
The $A350,000 Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) will be run at Caulfield on September 28.
An elevated temperature delayed plans for El Roca to resume in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes earlier this month.
Wayward Divissima Didn’t Help Herself
Highly-regarded filly Divissima surprised co-trainer Chad Ormsby with her wayward tendencies in her first three-year-old appearance.
She resumed in the age group sprint at Taupo last week and closed off late to finish fifth over 1100 metres.
“According to Rory (Hutchings), he was having trouble keeping her on the track and he said if she had run straight instead of sideways she would have blown them away,” Ormsby said.
“I don’t know what caused her to lay out, maybe it was just greenness and we’ll work on that. Hastings (the Gold Trail Stakes) was our original target, but we might look at other options – she needs good footing.”
Divissima won her first start last season and was put aside after she was unplaced in the Listed Karaka Million on a rain-affected track.
Boost For Breeders’ Stakes
The Valachi Downs Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes at Riccarton has been upgraded by the New Zealand Pattern Committee.
The 1400 metre fillies’ and mares’ event on the middle day of the New Zealand Cup carnival on November 12 has been elevated from Listed to Group Three status.
The 2014 renewal will also be contested for an increased stake of $80,000.
CD Stables Well-Represented
Central Districts runners are favoured in the pre-post market for Saturday’s opening Group One event of the season at Hastings.
The New Plymouth-trained mare I Do heads betting for the Makfi Challenge Stakes at $4 following her convincing last-start win in the Gr.3 Foxbridge Plate.
She is proven on rain-affected going, as is the second favourite Scapolo, a $7 prospect for Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers.
Hunterville galloper Nashville and Sacred Star, from the Cambridge barn of Tony Pike, are currently rated $8 chances ahead of last year’s winner Survived. He shares a $10 quote with the other Hastings hope Recite.
Kirramosa Works Well
Caulfield and Melbourne Cups’ contender Kirramosa worked in fine style at Randwick on Tuesday morning.
The Gr.1 VRC Oaks winner resumed from spell with a sound sixth behind Sweet Idea in the Gr.2 Missile Stakes earlier this month and the daughter of Alamosa will line up in a benchmark 95 race on Saturday over 1500 metres.
"She’s taken a good deal of improvement off that run, as you’d expect,” trainer John Sargent said.
"She hadn’t raced since last November and we elected not to trial her because I was more than happy for her to come to peak fitness during her campaign.”Kirramosa worked on a heavy track over 1000 metres in 1.06.0 and the last 600 metres in 36.5 seconds.
