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Princess Brook’s performance on Saturday will determine how long she will be away from home.
The Wingatui mare will make her second North Island appearance when she runs in the Gr.3 Hotel Coachman Manawatu Cup (2100m) at Awapuni.
“We’ll get Saturday out of the way first, but there is the Marton Cup a fortnight later and she could run in that,” trainer Terry Kennedy said.
Princess Brook finished a respectable seventh behind Nashville in last year’s Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m) and earned another trip away with a string of honest efforts.
She has finished in the money in each of her last five outings, including a third placing in the Listed Spring Classic (2000m) at Riccarton.
“She’s been going super and the bigger tracks suit her,” Kennedy said. “She arrived at Bruce Herd’s place on Tuesday and she’s travelled and settled in nicely. She’s drawn well and will be ridden off the pace a bit.”
Princess Brook will be partnered by Chris Johnson, who has guided the daughter of Raise The Flag to six of her eight career wins.
“She’s been getting quite a bit of weight down here,” Kennedy said.
“She’s the highest rated horse in the race on Saturday, but with the mare’s allowance she’ll carry 58.5kg and that’s better than running around here with 60kg.
“When she ran third at Riccarton she was giving seven kilos to the first two horses. It’s not the weight she’s carrying, it’s what she has to give away to the others.” – NZ Racing Desk.