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Prom Queen’s upcoming Group One campaign will gather momentum on her home track on Wednesday.
The black type-winning filly will stretch her legs between races at Ruakaka ahead of her three-year-old debut on the course next month.
“She’s going to have an exhibition gallop with Volkstok’n’barrell and then she’ll be starting on the 2nd over 1000 metres,” said Kenny Rae, who prepares the daughter of Super Easy with his wife Lisa and their daughter Krystal Williams.
“She’ll then either run in the Northland Breeders’ Stakes here on September 16 or the Canterbury Belle Stakes at Riccarton a week later, but I’d prefer to keep here up here as long as I can.”
Prom Queen won five of her six starts last season, including Listed successes in the Champagne and Welcome Stakes.
Rae has the Gr.1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas on November 18 as the filly’s target and he is confident she will cope with 1600m.
“I don’t see why not,” he said. “If for any reason it looks like she won’t, she can always switch to the Stewards.
“She’s been back in work for a couple of months and she’s filled out a bit. So far, so good.”
Meanwhile, Rae is expecting another solid performance from Major Tom in Wednesday’s Harcourts High Tea at Ruakaka 2 September on Wednesday.
“He’ll got out for a break after the race,” he said. “He’s a four-year-old with a three-year-old’s brain. He’s got plenty of ability though.
“He’s a work in progress and he was a real mongrel early on, but he’s getting better.”
Major Tom broke his maiden three runs back and last time out he finished a strong second behind Mastercard on the course. – NZ Racing Desk.