Perfect Fit
Trish Dunell
Ken Kelso has no doubt that his emerging mare Perfect Fit has what it takes to win Saturday's Gr.1 Fiber Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m) at Te Aroha.
But his one niggling doubt with the lightly-tried Elusive City four-year-old mare is the prospect of a step up to 1600m on a rain-affected track.
The Te Aroha track was rated a dead four on Thursday morning, though there was rain forecast for Friday afternoon.
Perfect Fit has won five of her 10 starts, though she has yet to race past 1400m and Kelso, who trains in partnership with his wife Bev, was keen to avoid conditions which would make her first start at a mile a sterner test than it would be on a good track.
"She hasn't been over a mile before and it would be a concern if we got the combination of 1600m for the first time and a heavy track," Kelso said.
"She's shown us that she does handle it wet in training and most Elusive Citys do handle it wet - Xanadu did - but the question would be how she'd go in the wet over a mile."
The Kelsos are shooting for their second win in the weight-for-age fillies and mares feature, having produced Elusive City mare Xanadu to win in 2013 on a slow eight track.
"They are complete opposites other than that they both possess top-class ability," Kelso said.
"Perfect Fit is a small, lightly-framed mare, whereas the other mare was huge. But she's going well and we're very happy with her."
Despite drawing barrier 15, Perfect Fit shares TAB favouritism at $4 with last-start Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes winner Rasa Lila, who also drew wide in barrier 13.
Perfect Fit was a last-start Group Three winner herself, claiming her first win past 1200m in the Westbury Classic (1400m) at Ellerslie last month under Matamata jockey Michael Coleman, who has been aboard for all her wins and all but one of her races so far.
"I'd like to think she'd be very competitive," Kelso said.
"But this is a Group One and they never just hand them to you. All the good mares are there, but all going well, I'd expect her run a bold race."
The Kelsos have just one other runner this weekend, with capable mare Aotearower dropping back to 1600m for the Waterforce Handicap at Awapuni on Friday.
"We had to question whether she got 2000m the way she raced at Matamata the other day so we've dropped her back to 1600m and hopefully we'll be a lot wiser after the race," Kelso said. - NZ Racing Desk
But his one niggling doubt with the lightly-tried Elusive City four-year-old mare is the prospect of a step up to 1600m on a rain-affected track.
The Te Aroha track was rated a dead four on Thursday morning, though there was rain forecast for Friday afternoon.
Perfect Fit has won five of her 10 starts, though she has yet to race past 1400m and Kelso, who trains in partnership with his wife Bev, was keen to avoid conditions which would make her first start at a mile a sterner test than it would be on a good track.
"She hasn't been over a mile before and it would be a concern if we got the combination of 1600m for the first time and a heavy track," Kelso said.
"She's shown us that she does handle it wet in training and most Elusive Citys do handle it wet - Xanadu did - but the question would be how she'd go in the wet over a mile."
The Kelsos are shooting for their second win in the weight-for-age fillies and mares feature, having produced Elusive City mare Xanadu to win in 2013 on a slow eight track.
"They are complete opposites other than that they both possess top-class ability," Kelso said.
"Perfect Fit is a small, lightly-framed mare, whereas the other mare was huge. But she's going well and we're very happy with her."
Despite drawing barrier 15, Perfect Fit shares TAB favouritism at $4 with last-start Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes winner Rasa Lila, who also drew wide in barrier 13.
Perfect Fit was a last-start Group Three winner herself, claiming her first win past 1200m in the Westbury Classic (1400m) at Ellerslie last month under Matamata jockey Michael Coleman, who has been aboard for all her wins and all but one of her races so far.
"I'd like to think she'd be very competitive," Kelso said.
"But this is a Group One and they never just hand them to you. All the good mares are there, but all going well, I'd expect her run a bold race."
The Kelsos have just one other runner this weekend, with capable mare Aotearower dropping back to 1600m for the Waterforce Handicap at Awapuni on Friday.
"We had to question whether she got 2000m the way she raced at Matamata the other day so we've dropped her back to 1600m and hopefully we'll be a lot wiser after the race," Kelso said. - NZ Racing Desk