Wexford Stables will take a two-pronged attack into the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings later this month, with promising three-year-olds Pounce and Dashing Dixie set to continue their spring campaigns.
Pounce earned her shot at the fillies’ feature with an impressive victory in the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (1200m) at Ellerslie last Saturday.
The Almanzor filly has now won two of her four starts for trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, with the Gold Trail providing another important test as connections plot a potential path towards the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November.
“She is sprinting well over six furlongs and tackles the same distance again in the Gold Trail at Hastings, which will be three weeks between runs,” Scott said.
“She has got to perform away from Ellerslie, it is another step for her. She has certainly shown a preference for better ground and, providing she gets that at Hawke’s Bay, she should run well again.
“She has come through the win well. After a quiet few days, she had the saddle back on this morning and Lachie, who rides her every day, said she has come through it in really good order. It was a great result for the ownership team.”
While Pounce has yet to race beyond 1200m, Scott sees no reason why she will not cope with the step up in distance later in the spring.
“We are hoping to head towards the 1000 Guineas, but her form has to be strong when we get to the crossroads,” he said.
“She gives every indication that she will go further. She settles well, she is good mentally and, being by Almanzor, she should run 1400m and a mile.”
Stablemate Dashing Dixie will join Pounce in the Gold Trail after catching the eye when finishing fifth behind her at Ellerslie.
“We were very pleased with her,” Scott said. “Joe Doyle got off and said if you swapped the barrier draws and the runs, she would have finished a lot closer.
“Her sectionals were good and she is another one who appreciated getting on quicker ground. She is handling the preparation really well physically and her coat is starting to turn.
“She will also head to the Gold Trail.”
A daughter of Alabama Express, Dashing Dixie is also expected to appreciate more ground as her preparation progresses, with her pedigree providing encouragement that a mile will be within her compass.
“Her third dam is an Oaks winner in She’s Country and her mother is a sibling to horses that have won over a bit of ground,” Scott said.
“Genetically, she is wired to run a strong mile.”
Meanwhile, stable star Waitak pleased his trainers with his resuming effort at Ellerslie and will follow a similar path to the one that served him well last season.
Forced to settle near the rear from a wide draw, Waitak made steady ground in the straight in a race dominated by those who raced closer to the speed.
“We couldn’t have been more pleased with the effort,” Scott said. “We had no option from the draw but to settle a long way back and they probably didn’t go as hard as we anticipated, which explains why the first three around the corner were the first three home.
“He rounded off the race well and the most pleasing part was the way he went through the line.”
Waitak is again being aimed at the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) and Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m), with Wexford intent on keeping the seven-year-old rolling through the spring and summer.
“He will race in all the same races as last year, which gives him the opportunity to race out the season strongly,” Scott said.
“They’ve still got to be in top form in the first week of March, so we won’t be overtaxing him. That worked well last year.”
With all three horses showing a preference for firmer footing, Scott is hoping conditions remain favourable when Wexford heads to Hastings.
“We would like to see good ground for them all and we hope the weather plays its part.” – NZ Racing Desk
