Astara winning the Champagne Stakes
Trish Dunell
Astara returns to her favourite track on Saturday and an effort in keeping with her past Ellerslie performances will book her passage south.
The Dalghar filly's preparation has been aimed toward the Gr.1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas and trainers Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs just require a bold showing in the Listed Dunstan Feeds Soliloquy Stakes to press on to Riccarton.
"As long as she gets a decent track she'll run, otherwise she will go to the Sarten on Monday," Logan said.
"She has done really well since she last raced and we're really pleased with the way she is progressing. If everything goes well she will head down to Riccarton and a mile on the big track there will really suit her."
Astara has won both of her starts at Ellerslie, including a defeat of the Gr.1 VRC Oaks contender Eleonora in last season's Listed Champagne Stakes, and most recently she finished fourth from the outside gate at Ruakaka.
"It was a pretty good run from the draw and she made up a lot of ground," Logan said. "It was nice to see her come from well off the pace and that showed she's not one dimensional."
The stable will also have two more Riccarton hopefuls in action in Monday's Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial with Mongolian Falcon and Wyndspelle to use the Te Rapa feature as their final lead in to the Gr.1 Sothys New Zealand 2000 Guineas.
"They are both really bright and well and on target," Logan said. "Mongolian Falcon has done particularly well since Hastings and Wyndspelle is right among the top liners and he just needs a bit of luck to go his way."
Mongolian Falcon was a commanding last-start winner of the Gr.2 Hawke's Bay Guineas while Wyndspelle, runner-up in last season's Gr.1 Diamond Stakes, finished fifth at Hastings. – NZ Racing Desk.
The Dalghar filly's preparation has been aimed toward the Gr.1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas and trainers Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs just require a bold showing in the Listed Dunstan Feeds Soliloquy Stakes to press on to Riccarton.
"As long as she gets a decent track she'll run, otherwise she will go to the Sarten on Monday," Logan said.
"She has done really well since she last raced and we're really pleased with the way she is progressing. If everything goes well she will head down to Riccarton and a mile on the big track there will really suit her."
Astara has won both of her starts at Ellerslie, including a defeat of the Gr.1 VRC Oaks contender Eleonora in last season's Listed Champagne Stakes, and most recently she finished fourth from the outside gate at Ruakaka.
"It was a pretty good run from the draw and she made up a lot of ground," Logan said. "It was nice to see her come from well off the pace and that showed she's not one dimensional."
The stable will also have two more Riccarton hopefuls in action in Monday's Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial with Mongolian Falcon and Wyndspelle to use the Te Rapa feature as their final lead in to the Gr.1 Sothys New Zealand 2000 Guineas.
"They are both really bright and well and on target," Logan said. "Mongolian Falcon has done particularly well since Hastings and Wyndspelle is right among the top liners and he just needs a bit of luck to go his way."
Mongolian Falcon was a commanding last-start winner of the Gr.2 Hawke's Bay Guineas while Wyndspelle, runner-up in last season's Gr.1 Diamond Stakes, finished fifth at Hastings. – NZ Racing Desk.