Group One winner Captured By Love was back in the winners’ circle at Taupo on Sunday, with an elite-level assignment now firmly in her sights.
The daughter of Written Tycoon has mixed her form this season, with her last appearance in the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa in December producing an unplaced result.
She was subsequently freshened and took care of a small but select field in Sunday’s Rabobank Cup (1400m), giving trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson the confidence to press onto next month’s Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.
“She has been a bit up and down this season,” Sam Bergerson said. “She had a bit of a freshen-up following Te Rapa and had a couple of exhibition gallops.
“It was only a five-horse field (on Sunday) but there were some really handy gallopers in behind her. It was good to see her win like that and hopefully she can get a bit of confidence now. She has come through it really well.
“We are thinking we will go straight to Trentham for the Thoroughbred Breeders’ on the 28th of March. We are going to keep her nice and fresh, which we think she performs well at. We will give her an exhibition gallop and a trial between times. We think the big, roomy track at Trentham will really suit her as well.”
A race later at Taupo, Bergerson returned to the winners’ circle to welcome back Crown Princess following her victory in the Fiber Fresh (1800m).
It was a popular win, with Crown Princess returning from a near fatal incident last year, and she is now starting to fulfil her promise.
“She was really impressive as a three-year-old and had a really nasty float accident on the way to the Oaks Prelude at New Plymouth,” Bergerson said. “She was incredibly lucky and it is a miracle she is even back at the races.
“To see her win was really satisfying for the whole team. It has been an incredible journey and thankfully the owners’ patience has paid off.
“We think she can be a handy staying mare in time. She is still only lightly raced following a pretty traumatic experience. I can’t thank the team at home and the veterinary team at Waikato Equine (Veterinary Centre) as well.”
Meanwhile, Bergerson has been pleased with the way $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) contender Belle Cheval has come through her victory in Saturday’s Gr.3 Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m).
“She has come through it really well, she is as bright as a button,” he said.
“She has still got to take on Well Written, who looks incredibly hard to beat, but she is going the right way, is getting better and better each time she races, and I am certainly looking forward to 12 days’ time.”
While undefeated Group One-winning filly Well Written is a dominant $1.20 favourite in the NZB Kiwi, Bergerson said anything can happen in racing, and he is pleased with his stable’s three contenders, with fellow NZB Kiwi stable runners La Dorada and He Who Dares pleasing in their 1100m Group and Listed trial at Taupo on Sunday.
“Two weeks is a long time in racing and plenty can happen,” Bergerson said. “She (Well Written) has got to carry the Group One penalty, so it evens the playing field up a little bit, but in saying that, she is still the benchmark. I am really happy with our three charges, the other two trialled nicely yesterday at Taupo.”
La Dorada and He Who Dares were joined in their trial by Group One-winning stablemate Quintessa, and Bergerson was happy enough with her hit-out ahead of her resuming run in the Gr.2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Classic (1400m) at Ellerslie on Champions Day.
“She has never been the flashiest trialler, albeit she did trial well at Te Aroha,” Bergerson said. “She tends to look after herself as an older mare now, she is pretty intelligent and she saves it all up for raceday.
“We were happy enough with her trial on firm enough going there yesterday at Taupo, she was there for a day out. It was a pretty sharp trial and there were some pretty nice sprinters in there.
“She has come through it really well and we will head to the Dubai Classic at Ellerslie over 1400m, where she won her Group One (Proisir Plate) at the start of the season.
“She has just had a few setbacks over the summer period, but fingers-crossed we are back on track now after those two trials. If she brings her A-game on March 7 she will be really competitive.”
Meanwhile, the stable had a frustrating couple of results at Ellerslie on Saturday, including Towering Vision, with the $3.50 race favourite tailing the field home in the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m).
“It was a bit of a headscratcher, I can’t really fault him,” Bergerson said. “Opie (Bosson, jockey) put his hand up and said he was probably a bit too negative from the gate, but we still would have liked to have seen him round it off a bit.
“They didn’t go a great tempo mid-stage, which certainly didn’t suit him, and he was never able to build into the race or grow any momentum going forward.
“He was vetted post-race, he has passed all the tests, and he is as bright as a button trotting out nicely here this morning. At this stage we are cracking onto the Derby (Gr.1, 2400m) and just hoping it was an off day and we can bounce back to a bit of form.”
Bergerson was also disappointed with the third placed result of promising juvenile Seize The Day in his debut effort behind Summer Schemer in the Eagle Charters 1100, but he believes the son of I Am Invincible has a bright future.
“I am disappointed that he didn’t win but I am proud of the effort and the run he actually made,” Bergerson said.
“I think it will potentially be a blessing in disguise not winning that race. We are now able to run on our home track at Matamata on March 11. Hopefully, all going well, we can head onto the Manawatu Sires’ (Gr.1, 1400m).
“He is a lovely colt and even with all of his trials he is still pretty new and did a bit wrong on Saturday, which cost him. I think the slow tempo mid-race didn’t suit him, but he was certainly eating away at the ground late and he was really good through the line, so he is one to follow. He is a really nice colt going forward.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
