Valley Girl
Trish Dunell
Surprise last-start Group One winner Valley Girl will take aim at a major Australian age group feature before the end of her current campaign.
The filly exceeded all expectations when she toppled Stolen Dance and Kawi in the Herbie Dyke Stakes at Te Rapa in her lead-up to the Gr.1 BMW New Zealand Derby, after which she will head across the Tasman.
"We were always going for the Derby and the Oaks in Sydney – that's been on the agenda for quite some time," said Donna Logan, who prepares the daughter of Mastercraftsman with Chris Gibbs.
"We would have been happy to pick up a Group One placing at Te Rapa and to beat those good horses was a massive bonus."
Valley Girl was ridden by Lisa Allpress, but Danielle Johnson will be reunited with the filly in the Derby.
"Lisa wanted to wait until after she had ridden Dukedom in the Avondale Guineas and Danielle could commit straight away," Logan said.
"Time waits for nobody in this game and Danielle did win on her at Ellerslie on Karaka Million night."
Allpress will partner her Gr.1 Levin Stakes-winning ride Dukedom in this Saturday's Gr.2 Auckland Eye Avondale Guineas.
"I'm very happy with him and his work this morning was good after his exhibition gallop last week," trainer Steven Cole said.
"There's still improvement to come from him heading toward the Derby so at this stage it's all in place."
Cole is also pleased with stablemate Amachi, who will make his debut in the Te Aroha Liquor 1000 at Te Aroha on Wednesday.
"He trialled the other day and went well," he said. "He learned a lot from that and I expect him to go well.
"He's one of six two-year-olds in the stable and four of them have trialled. You've got to keep the young ones coming through and we bought another four yearlings at Karaka that are away getting broken in." - NZ Racing Desk.
The filly exceeded all expectations when she toppled Stolen Dance and Kawi in the Herbie Dyke Stakes at Te Rapa in her lead-up to the Gr.1 BMW New Zealand Derby, after which she will head across the Tasman.
"We were always going for the Derby and the Oaks in Sydney – that's been on the agenda for quite some time," said Donna Logan, who prepares the daughter of Mastercraftsman with Chris Gibbs.
"We would have been happy to pick up a Group One placing at Te Rapa and to beat those good horses was a massive bonus."
Valley Girl was ridden by Lisa Allpress, but Danielle Johnson will be reunited with the filly in the Derby.
"Lisa wanted to wait until after she had ridden Dukedom in the Avondale Guineas and Danielle could commit straight away," Logan said.
"Time waits for nobody in this game and Danielle did win on her at Ellerslie on Karaka Million night."
Allpress will partner her Gr.1 Levin Stakes-winning ride Dukedom in this Saturday's Gr.2 Auckland Eye Avondale Guineas.
"I'm very happy with him and his work this morning was good after his exhibition gallop last week," trainer Steven Cole said.
"There's still improvement to come from him heading toward the Derby so at this stage it's all in place."
Cole is also pleased with stablemate Amachi, who will make his debut in the Te Aroha Liquor 1000 at Te Aroha on Wednesday.
"He trialled the other day and went well," he said. "He learned a lot from that and I expect him to go well.
"He's one of six two-year-olds in the stable and four of them have trialled. You've got to keep the young ones coming through and we bought another four yearlings at Karaka that are away getting broken in." - NZ Racing Desk.