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Trainer Graeme Rogerson is looking forward to the second day of the Bostock New Zealand Spring Racing Carnival at Hastings later this month despite the unfortunate loss of progressive five-year-old Comeback.
The Makfi gelding was humanely euthanised following his gritty run for sixth in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings on August 31 after sustaining a slab fracture in his left fore carpal joint during the closing stages of the contest.
“He was very brave and it’s such a shame we couldn’t save him after he suffered his injury,” Rogerson said.
“I guess that is racing, where you have to take the good with the bad, but it is a tough old game when this sort of thing happens. He was a genuine and much-loved horse.”
Team Rogerson will likely have only one runner in the feature attraction at Hastings on September 21 with four-year-old gelding More Wonder set to take his place in the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) following his midfield finish in the Tarzino Trophy.
“He (More Wonder) didn’t get a lot of luck in the run home as he was hampered by Comeback when he faltered,” Rogerson said.
“I was pleased without being delighted by the run, but he has worked up nicely since then and we’re hopeful of a better effort in the Windsor Park Plate.”
Team Rogerson will also be represented by promising sprinter Malambo who will tackle the open 1200m contest on the day.
Meanwhile talented three-year-old Aalaalune will miss the second day at Hastings with the Reliable Man filly having a brief freshen up before commencing a campaign focussed on the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year series.
“We sat down and had a good chat with her owner and we decided to give her a little time off before her next run,” Rogerson said.
“She can have a freshen up and then will most likely go to either the Soliloquy Stakes (Gr.3, 1400m) at Ellerslie or the Sarten Memorial (Gr.2, 1400m) at Te Rapa in October.
“From there we will concentrate on the Filly of the Year series with the 1000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) at Riccarton her main focus to start with.”
Rogerson was also delighted with the debut performance of Aalaalune’s little sister, De La Terre, who was narrowly beaten in the first two-year-old contest of the season at Wanganui on Saturday.
“She (De La Terre) went a beauty and might have even won the race if she hadn’t been slightly impeded by another horse coming to the home bend,” he said.
“We really like her and she seems to have inherited plenty of the family ability.
“Provided she comes through the race well, she will go to the Wellesley Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Trentham next month.”
Rogerson also advised that last season’s Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) runner-up, Ferrando was making good progress in his current build-up and would be seen at the trials in the next few weeks once track conditions had improved. – NZ Racing Desk