Alabama Express has settled into his new digs at Yulong in the Hunter Valley and his star Kiwi based performer Alabama Lass looks poised for further success this season.
Alabama Lass cemented her place at the top of the TAB’s futures market for the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa in a fortnight following her comfortable trial win over 1050m at the Hamilton track on Saturday.
Her connections are hopeful of a change of luck from last season, which proved frustrating despite it starting with a bang when she was runner-up in the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley. She then went on to finish last in the Gr.1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) and seventh in the Gr.1 Railway (1200m). In her final outing of the season at Ellerslie on Champions Day, she looked the winner in the Gr.3 King’s Plate (1200m) before she ducked inwards with 100m to go, hitting the rail and dislodging jockey Samantha Collett.
Trainers Ken and Bev Kelso said she thrived over her subsequent spell and she has returned a more mature mare, which was on full display at Te Rapa on Saturday where she led throughout under Michael McNab and won comfortably by 1-1/4 lengths over the Stephen Marsh-trained Media World.
Ken Kelso was pleased with what he saw from his Group One performer.
“Things went awry in the autumn and she has come back a lot stronger and developed a lot,” he said. “She ran nicely and Micheal (McNab) was rapt with the run, so I am very pleased.
“She got pretty toey after her Melbourne trip. I don’t know what happened in the Manikato. I thought she was back to her old self (on Saturday), she relaxed nicely and Michael seemed to get on with her.”
Kelso is now looking forward to Alabama Lass resuming in the Foxbridge Plate before likely heading to the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) at Ellerslie on September 5.
“We have got to get through the Foxbridge first, and like everyone else we are on weather watch. She has won over 1400m at Ellerslie in the Soliloquy (Gr.2, 1400m), and at Ellerslie we are likely to get a reasonable track, and she has run second over a mile.
“As she has got a little bit stronger, I don’t think the 1400m will be a worry.”
Alabama Lass is now the $2.80 favourite in the TAB’s futures market for the Foxbridge Plate, ahead of Crocetti and First Five, both at $4.50. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
