Trish Dunell
The duration of Consensus’ Sydney stay will be decided by her performance on Saturday.
She will make her Australian debut in the Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill, in which she will be ridden by expatriate Kiwi jockey Jason Collett.
“She’s a six-year-old now in the autumn of her career so she deserves her chance over there,” trainer Stephen McKee said.
“A lot depends on Saturday, but she’ll probably only have a couple of runs and if she does run well then we’ll have another go at a big one.”
Consensus has won eight races with her career highlight a 2016 defeat of Volkstok’n’barrell in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m).
The daughter of Postponed has been in good touch this season with a runner-up finish in the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m), fourth in the defence of her Zabeel Classic title and last time out she was second in the Gr.1 Haunui Farm WFA Classic (1600m).
“She’s got a lot of black type so she’s really got nothing left to prove here,” McKee said.
Meanwhile, her Group One-winning stablemate Hasahalo won’t race again this season.
“She’s gone out, there’s nothing else for her and we’ll get her back for the spring,” McKee said.
Successful in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in November, Hasahalo’s subsequent form was indifferent although she was luckless in her last two appearances.
The Savabeel filly suffered an interrupted run when unplaced in the Gr.3 Lowland Stakes (2100m) and then finished well back in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m).
“I didn’t realise until I saw the replay that she was three and four wide for the entire trip at Trentham,” McKee said. – NZ Racing Desk.