Nashville
Race Images Palmerston North
A midweek trip to Waverley boosted Masa Tanaka's confidence ahead of Saturday's meeting at Riccarton.
The Awapuni-based jockey will partner the well-performed stablemates Benzini and Nashville and he was impressed with the pair when he put them through their paces over 1000 metres on Tuesday.
"I rode them at the jump-outs and Benzini has got class and he's a really laid back horse," Tanaka said. "He went nicely without being asked to do too much."
The Adrian and Harry Bull-trained Benzini will attempt to further an excellent record on the course when he runs in the D Reynolds Electrical Founders Cup. He is a two-time winner there and also finished third in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup in November.
Benzini was most recently sixth in the Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup on an unsuitably heavy track and while he has 60kg to carry on Saturday, he still looks well-placed.
Nashville also owns an outstanding record at Riccarton with his three wins featuring the Gr.2 Coupland's Bakeries Mile and the Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup.
"He jumped out well on Tuesday and they told me is a really lazy horse, but he grabbed the bridle," Tanaka said.
Nashville will appreciate the step up to 1600m in the Listed Christchurch Casino Easter Cup after making late ground last time out at Awapuni where he resumed over 1400m.
While he has been successful over a middle distance, a mile is the seven-year-old's pet distance having won two Gr.1 Haunui Farm WFA Classics and finished runner-up in the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes at the trip.
Tanaka will also partner the Shaune Ritchie-trained No Pushover in the Listed NZ Bloodstock Insurance Stakes.
"She has been consistent and won really well last time out," he said. "It's not an overly strong field and she looks a nice filly." – NZ Racing Desk.
The Awapuni-based jockey will partner the well-performed stablemates Benzini and Nashville and he was impressed with the pair when he put them through their paces over 1000 metres on Tuesday.
"I rode them at the jump-outs and Benzini has got class and he's a really laid back horse," Tanaka said. "He went nicely without being asked to do too much."
The Adrian and Harry Bull-trained Benzini will attempt to further an excellent record on the course when he runs in the D Reynolds Electrical Founders Cup. He is a two-time winner there and also finished third in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup in November.
Benzini was most recently sixth in the Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup on an unsuitably heavy track and while he has 60kg to carry on Saturday, he still looks well-placed.
Nashville also owns an outstanding record at Riccarton with his three wins featuring the Gr.2 Coupland's Bakeries Mile and the Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup.
"He jumped out well on Tuesday and they told me is a really lazy horse, but he grabbed the bridle," Tanaka said.
Nashville will appreciate the step up to 1600m in the Listed Christchurch Casino Easter Cup after making late ground last time out at Awapuni where he resumed over 1400m.
While he has been successful over a middle distance, a mile is the seven-year-old's pet distance having won two Gr.1 Haunui Farm WFA Classics and finished runner-up in the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes at the trip.
Tanaka will also partner the Shaune Ritchie-trained No Pushover in the Listed NZ Bloodstock Insurance Stakes.
"She has been consistent and won really well last time out," he said. "It's not an overly strong field and she looks a nice filly." – NZ Racing Desk.