Contessa Vanessa
Trish Dunell
Ryan Elliot is set to partner Hamilton filly Contessa Vanessa in Saturday week's Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) at Hastings.
Apprenticed to Graeme Rogerson, Elliot has a good record aboard the Group One-placed Bullbars filly, winning the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on her at Ellerslie last season.
Contessa Vanessa sat outside the leader Danzdanzdance in the Rating 82 1400m race at Ruakaka last start but couldn't get past the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) placegetter in the sprint home.
"It was a good run and she's come through it well. She's up there with the good horses," said Graeme Rogerson, who trains the New Zealand Oaks runner-up with his wife Debbie and granddaughter Bailey.