The connections of Natuzzi are happy to let the veteran sprinter have the final say on the direction of his current campaign.
The eight-year-old showed he was still more than a match for his younger short course rivals when he powered home to win the Gr.3 J. A. Russell Ltd Concorde Handicap at Ellerslie on Saturday.
“He’s got a nomination for the Railway, but we’ll get him home and see how he pulls up – he’ll tell us what to do,” said Peter Williams, who prepares the son of Coats Choice with his wife Dawn and Paul Richards.The Byerley Park trainers enjoyed a dream day at Ellerslie where they won earlier races with Marciano, Night’s Watch and Symphonic to follow on from the success of their stablemate Gravano in the closing event on the course seven days earlier.
“The team’s flying at the moment and we’ve got great staff,” Williams said.Natuzzi, who had finished fourth when resuming at his previous start, customarily settled off the pace and he dived between runners close to home for rider Vinnie Colgan.
They accounted for the game frontrunner Irish Moon and the winner’s stablemate Fire Jet ran third.“He’s doing well and in the last six weeks he’s really come to it,” Williams said.
“He needed that run at Te Rapa and he’s gone super here, I’m very happy for the connections. I said to Vinnie not to go around them, go through them and it’s great to see the horse back.”
