Starvoia
Race Images Christchurch
When a horse has wings, you have to let them fly.
That's the philosophy North Canterbury trainers John and Karen Parsons are adopting with exciting three-year-old filly Starvoia.
The daughter of Starcraft is unbeaten in two starts and gets her chance in stakes company for the first time in Saturday's Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton.
"What will be, will be, but we couldn't be any happier with our horse," Karen Parsons said ahead of the three-year-old fillies feature.
Starvoia's wins, at Riccarton last month on a heavy track and at the same venue earlier this month on a dead track, are reason enough for Parsons to mention the filly in the same sentence as her three-time Group One winner Final Touch when the topic comes to whether she will see out a strong 1600m for the Gr.1 Gavelhouse.com NZ 1000 Guineas at Riccarton in November.
"Her pedigree might not say she'd get 1600m but it was the same with Final Touch and it used to irk me when people would say 'don't you know she's by Kashani?' It's the same with this filly. She should get 1600m but you just don't know. The good thing is she can't read her own pedigree."
A strong pointer to her chances this weekend comes from rider Chris Johnson, who turned down the opportunity to ride Rasa Lila in the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate at Hastings in order to stay with Stavoia, who reeled off a 33.21-second final 600m in winning at her last start.
That cast off any aspersions she was a wet tracker following her debut win in heavy going, something the Parsons were never worried about.
"Our horses all go on dry ground and we know that because that's what they are trained on. There are people in Canterbury crying out for rain at the moment," Parsons said.
"Our biggest problem with her was going to the races the first time on a heavy track and whether she would handle it."
The Parsons will assess Starvoia's performance this weekend before picking between the Listed John Grigg Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton on October 15 and the Listed Zacinto Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton a week later as her leadup to the 1000 Guineas. - NZ Racing Desk
That's the philosophy North Canterbury trainers John and Karen Parsons are adopting with exciting three-year-old filly Starvoia.
The daughter of Starcraft is unbeaten in two starts and gets her chance in stakes company for the first time in Saturday's Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton.
"What will be, will be, but we couldn't be any happier with our horse," Karen Parsons said ahead of the three-year-old fillies feature.
Starvoia's wins, at Riccarton last month on a heavy track and at the same venue earlier this month on a dead track, are reason enough for Parsons to mention the filly in the same sentence as her three-time Group One winner Final Touch when the topic comes to whether she will see out a strong 1600m for the Gr.1 Gavelhouse.com NZ 1000 Guineas at Riccarton in November.
"Her pedigree might not say she'd get 1600m but it was the same with Final Touch and it used to irk me when people would say 'don't you know she's by Kashani?' It's the same with this filly. She should get 1600m but you just don't know. The good thing is she can't read her own pedigree."
A strong pointer to her chances this weekend comes from rider Chris Johnson, who turned down the opportunity to ride Rasa Lila in the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate at Hastings in order to stay with Stavoia, who reeled off a 33.21-second final 600m in winning at her last start.
That cast off any aspersions she was a wet tracker following her debut win in heavy going, something the Parsons were never worried about.
"Our horses all go on dry ground and we know that because that's what they are trained on. There are people in Canterbury crying out for rain at the moment," Parsons said.
"Our biggest problem with her was going to the races the first time on a heavy track and whether she would handle it."
The Parsons will assess Starvoia's performance this weekend before picking between the Listed John Grigg Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton on October 15 and the Listed Zacinto Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton a week later as her leadup to the 1000 Guineas. - NZ Racing Desk