Trish Dunell
Connections of talented galloper Mongolian Marshal were pleased with his second placing behind Igraine in the Gr.3 Ssangyong Counties Cup (2100m) on Saturday, but there remains a question mark as to whether the son of High Chaparral is a genuine stayer.
"Obviously we would have liked to have won the race, but the winner was just too good in the slow conditions,” co-trainer Andrew Forsman said.
“Igraine was hard fit and reveled in the ground late and he probably just felt the pinch. I think he just ran out of puff over the last 100m. It was his first run over middle distance this campaign.”
While Forsman and training partner Murray Baker are keen to set the four-year-old another staying test in the Gr.3 Skycity Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m), rider Matthew Cameron is less convinced of his ability to get over ground.
"We'll give him his chance and he'll probably run in the Waikato Cup or something like that and assess where he stands after that,” Forsman said.
“We won't write him off as a stayer yet, but Matt was fairly adamant that he's got a good turn of foot and maybe the mile is more his go.
“That's something we'll figure out in the next start or two."