Capella
Trish Dunell
Danica Guy was more than satisfied with Capella's performance at Te Rapa, although she wasn't thrilled by the style in which it was achieved.
The Matamata trainer has had a frustrating time with the filly after a regularly interrupted lead-up to her third placing under Mark Du Plessis in Saturday's Gr.2 Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic.
"She was super, but I was disappointed that she was ridden so far back," Guy said.
"I had wanted her ridden more forward because I knew there would be no pace on so it was a terrific run after such a big break away."
Capella won the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day before she was late scratched from the Gr.2 Royal Stakes on New Year's Day due to a track downgrade.
An elevated temperature then forced the daughter of Rip Van Winkle to miss the Gr.1 Levin Classic and a minor hoof problem subsequently foiled Guy's plan to start in the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes.
"That's all behind us now and she's come through Saturday's race very well," she said.
"Were looking to follow the Filly of the Year series and she'll run in the Sunline Vase next and then the Oaks."
The winner of three of her six starts for her Matamata breeder-owner Gary Harding, Capella is currently a $6 favourite for the Gr.1 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks at Trentham on March 19.
"We're concentrating on the Oaks here, but if she happened to bounce through the race and she was looking for more then we might look at Australia," Guy said.
A possible trip to Sydney would focus on the $A1 million Gr.1 ATC Australian Oaks to be run at Randwick on April 9. – NZ Racing Desk.
The Matamata trainer has had a frustrating time with the filly after a regularly interrupted lead-up to her third placing under Mark Du Plessis in Saturday's Gr.2 Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic.
"She was super, but I was disappointed that she was ridden so far back," Guy said.
"I had wanted her ridden more forward because I knew there would be no pace on so it was a terrific run after such a big break away."
Capella won the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day before she was late scratched from the Gr.2 Royal Stakes on New Year's Day due to a track downgrade.
An elevated temperature then forced the daughter of Rip Van Winkle to miss the Gr.1 Levin Classic and a minor hoof problem subsequently foiled Guy's plan to start in the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes.
"That's all behind us now and she's come through Saturday's race very well," she said.
"Were looking to follow the Filly of the Year series and she'll run in the Sunline Vase next and then the Oaks."
The winner of three of her six starts for her Matamata breeder-owner Gary Harding, Capella is currently a $6 favourite for the Gr.1 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks at Trentham on March 19.
"We're concentrating on the Oaks here, but if she happened to bounce through the race and she was looking for more then we might look at Australia," Guy said.
A possible trip to Sydney would focus on the $A1 million Gr.1 ATC Australian Oaks to be run at Randwick on April 9. – NZ Racing Desk.