Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are hoping Towering Vision’s win in the Eagle Technology 1600 at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day is a good omen as they look towards the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) in March with the progressive three-year-old.
The last two winners of the New Year’s Day three-year-old mile, Orchestral (2024) and Willydoit (2025), have gone on to win the Derby, and Walker and Bergerson are hoping Towering Vision can continue that trend.
The stakes winner was fresh-up on Thursday, and punters supported him late, backing him into $3.30 favouritism before the jump.
In-form hoop Opie Bosson settled his charge towards the rear of the field where he bided his time before presenting him out wide at the top of the straight and Towering Vision was able to show his class when running over the top of his rivals to score by three-quarters of a length over Sweet Ice.
“It was a really good patient ride by Opie,” Bergerson said. “It was good to see him relax so well in the blinkers, he still settled well and tracked into the race nicely.
“We have been working back from the Derby the whole way through and we are back on track now.
“He will take really good confidence from that. He has only won once before and that was a pretty good field today. The way he hit the line gives us confidence to go up in trip now. We are certainly targeting the middle of March and potentially onto the Waikato Guineas (Gr.2, 2000m) now.”
The win continued a great start to the year for Te Akau, having won two races earlier in the meeting, including Kinnaird in the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and Drops of God in the TAB 1200.
Both runners are set to return to Ellerslie for Karaka Millions night later this month where Kinnaird will contest the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), while Drops of God will likely line-up in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1400m).
Drops Of God was an eye-catching debut winner, scoring by 5-1/2 lengths at Te Aroha last month, and backed that up with a convincing three-quarter of a length victory on Thursday in the hands of Bosson.
The senior hoop said Drops Of God is still racing greenly, but he was impressed by her talent and expects her to go on with the job.
“She has still got quite a bit to learn, she does a bit wrong and gets on the wrong leg, but she has a lot of ability,” he said.
“She is definitely well above average. Once she puts everything together, I think she is going to be a very smart sprinter.”
Bergerson was pleased with what he saw from the Nearco Stud-bred and part-owned three-year-old, who he said would likely return to Ellerslie on January 24 to contest the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1400m).
“A three-year-old filly against the older horses up in grade, it was a really good effort,” he said.
“It was a positive ride and she had to do a bit of work to hold her spot and gave a really good kick trough to the line. It sets her up hopefully for some nice targets coming up.
“It is hard to know what her trip is at this stage. She is bred to get a little bit further, but the Almanzor Trophy looks like a really nice race for her on Karaka Millions night, all going well.
“There is a lot to get excited about.”
Bergerson is hoping the stable can continue their great start to the year at Trentham on Saturday, where they will be represented by a trio of runners.
Undefeated juvenile Out Of The Blue will lead their charge in the Listed JR & N Berkett Wellesley Stakes (1100m), for which he is an equal $3.10 favourite alongside Silhouette.
“He was meant to run at Ellerslie on Boxing Day but unfortunately he drew barrier 10 with 58kg, so we elected to scratch and go to Trentham,” Bergerson said.
“He has had two looks down a chute at Riccarton, not the Trentham chute, but they are similar. He has got a nice gate (2) and has Gryllsy (Craig Grylls, jockey) aboard. I would imagine he would be in the first one or two.
“He is quite bold in his going and he likes to get out in front and truck along at his own speed. We won’t be trying to ride him back like we did at the Avondale trials where he was quite bold.
“He is going really well and that trial has brought him on nicely. It is hard to line-up all of the different form lines, but he goes in in really good order.”
The stable will also have a two-pronged attack in the Gr.2 Levin Track Supporters Levin Classic (1400m) courtesy of Sibling Rivalry and La Dorada.
Sibling Rivalry has been victorious in her last starts and Bergerson is looking forward to testing her at stakes level for the first time.
“We think she deserves her chance at black-type,” he said. “1400m is a little bit of a query. She is not overly big but she makes up for it in toughness, she tries really hard.
“I can’t fault her from her last start win at Pukekohe, which was really good against the older horses in 65 grade.”
Bergerson is hoping last season’s Champion New Zealand Two-Year-Old La Dorada can return to form after failing to fire in her three three-year-old starts to date, including a fourth placed resuming run in New Zealand at Te Rapa last month.
“La Dorada should strip a lot fitter for that first-up run,” Bergerson said. “We weren’t able to get a trial into her heading into it (first-up New Zealand run), but she had the two exhibition gallops.
“She had a really good blow on pulling up and will take really good improvement. She is a Group One winner at 1400m at Wellington, which I think is a big plus, and ha drawn barrier one with Gryllsy on. Hopefully she can bounce back to a bit of form.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
