Trish Dunell
Lisa Latta has a strong hand to play at Hastings on Saturday with a team of eight entered for the premier meeting, including Authentic Paddy and Five To Midnight in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m).
Latta can’t fault Five To Midnight, who heads in to the feature race having won the
Fasttrack Insurance 2000m open handicap at Hastings at his last start.
“He’s definitely come up a lot stronger this year,” Latta said. “We didn’t give him that long off out in the wet and his summer coat is there now. He just looks amazing but it’s going to be a big step up to weight-for-age for him.”
Competing at weight-for-age conditions is something his stablemate Authentic Paddy is well versed in.
The nine-year-old has been running well without luck but will be reunited with jockey Trudy Thornton, who won the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic on him in December last year, replacing Ryan Elliot who has been on-board for his last two starts.
“Having Trudy back on will be a big assist, he needs a strong rider,” Latta said.
“He’s just had no luck and all two starts back in, he got held up when he needed to get going and then he just got too far back at Hastings the other day.
“He’s really well, I couldn’t be happier with him, his work has been very good.”
Race Images PN (Peter Rubery)
Latta is undecided on whether she will have two or three runners in the Gr.2 Sacred Falls Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m), with promising filly Princess Amelie also entered in the Bostock New Zealand Spring Carnival Finale (1400m).
“I paid up for both races hoping for a good draw and didn’t get one in either,” she said, having drawn 16 and 10 respectively.
“We will have a good think about what to do with her, we do want to get some black-type with her but it just might be a bit of an ask from that draw.”
The Palmerston North-based trainer will however have Sir Nate and Platinum Mam’selle in the race.
“Sir Nate got held up a bit on the inside in his first up run, he’s had a trial since and he trialled up really well and his work has been very good,” she said.
“Platinum Mam’selle gets back a bit and that’s tough on a track like Hastings, so as long as she’s getting home well again I’ll be happy.”
Another runner of interest for the stable is Lincoln Falls who was very impressive on debut at Woodville on September 14.
“He’s a lovely horse, he’s worked well and we considered putting him in the Guineas but I just thought that it was just coming up a bit soon for him he’s still at that learning stage,” Latta said.
“I just want to get through Saturday before we decide where to head with him. It’s a big step up from a mid-week at Woodville to premier day at Hastings and he’s still a little bit green and immature.”
Latta’s other runners are Kamada Lincoln who she said will appreciate the step-up to 2200m in the Bay Ford NZ Punter of the Year and Lincoln Raider who is fresh-up in the Dan De’Esposito Memorial (1200m). – NZ Racing Desk.