Grant Peters
Adrian and Harry Bull have an excellent strike rate at Riccarton and they are again marshalling their troops for next month’s New Zealand Cup carnival.
The Hunterville trainers have produced eight winners and nine placegetters from 37 starters on the track while Adrian had 12 victories and 12 placegetters from 67 runners before he took his son into partnership.
The family success in Christchurch includes wins in the Gr.2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m), the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) and the Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) with Nashville and a Gr.3 New Zealand Cup with Mungo Jerry.
The Bulls have three runners nominated for next month’s Coupland’s Mile with the picture to become clearer after Saturday’s Trentham meeting.
Benzini, Nashville and William Wallace are all entered in the Riccarton feature with the three-year-old Hunter Villain also likely to head south.
“If the track’s good, Benzini will definitely go for the Coupland’s Mile,” Harry Bull said.
A Group Two winner and multiple Group One placegetter, Benzini had a trial outing over 1000m at Waverley recently and he will resume from a break in the Gr.3 Anuka Smoker Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Wellington this weekend.
He will be joined at Trentham by Nashville, a dual Group One winner who was unplaced last time out in the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m) at Hastings.
“They just went a bit too quick for him, but he pulled up well,” Bull said. “He’s in the Coupland’s and there’s also an open 2000m on the middle day at Riccarton.”
William Wallace, the winner of four of his 11 starts including two Queensland victories, ran second in his open 1000m heat at Waverley.
“He’s in the Rating 85 1200m at Trentham and then he could go for the Stewards or the Coupland’s Mile, at this stage we’re leaning toward the Stewards,” Bull said.
Alamosa two-year-old Karaka Kid is in the party for Trentham where he will debut in the Listed Grant Plumbing Wellesley Stakes (1200m) while Hunter Villain, a son of Darci Brahma, will make his first appearance in the NZTBA Wellington Branch Guineas Trial (1200m).
“There’s also a three-year-old race over 1400m for him on the second day at Riccarton,” Bull said. – NZ Racing Desk.