Xtravagant
Kenton Wright Race Images
Xtravagant is every bit as well as he was going into his brilliant win in the Gr.1 NRM Sprint (1400m) in February, according to trainer Stephen Autridge as he puts the final touches on the colt for Saturday's Gr.3 Inglis Sales Cambridge Breeders' Stakes (1200m).
The Pentire colt ran out an eight-length winner of that weight-for-age feature at Te Rapa, lowering the colours of Group One winners Vespa, Recite, Sacred Star, Volkstok'n'barrell and Ryan Mark.
While he was unable to repeat the performance in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington at his next start, he has returned to racing trim much to the delight of Autridge and his training partner Jamie Richards.
"He's done some really good pieces of trackwork and we're very happy with him," Autridge said of the TAB's $1.85 favourite for the three-year-old sprint.
"He's the same weight as when he won the NRM Sprint, so he's pretty fit. He likes the track and he's drawn [barrier] two, so we're happy on those counts too.
"He should be winning it, all things being equal, but funnier things have happened in racing. At set-weights, he's thrown in. In the NRM Sprint, he wasn't thrown in but he was still too good and we think he's in the same condition that he was for that day."
Raced by the Te Akau 2014 Breeding Syndicate, Xtravagant has won five of his nine starts, including a breath-taking 8 1/2-length win over Cambridge Breeders' Stakes rival Battle Time in the Gr.1 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November.
He possesses dazzling gate speed and is expected to easily find the front on Saturday for regular rider Matt Cameron.
Autridge and Richards will shoot for a Group-race double at Te Rapa, with last year's winner Abidewithme back to defend her title in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) for jockey Michael McNab, who celebrated his biggest win in the race last year.
"She's really well. It was a good run in the Easter last week but they just went too quick for her," Autridge said.
"The last 200m was the best part of her race. She's following the same leadup as last year. She's plotting the same course and hopefully we can get the same result." - NZ Racing Desk.
The Pentire colt ran out an eight-length winner of that weight-for-age feature at Te Rapa, lowering the colours of Group One winners Vespa, Recite, Sacred Star, Volkstok'n'barrell and Ryan Mark.
While he was unable to repeat the performance in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington at his next start, he has returned to racing trim much to the delight of Autridge and his training partner Jamie Richards.
"He's done some really good pieces of trackwork and we're very happy with him," Autridge said of the TAB's $1.85 favourite for the three-year-old sprint.
"He's the same weight as when he won the NRM Sprint, so he's pretty fit. He likes the track and he's drawn [barrier] two, so we're happy on those counts too.
"He should be winning it, all things being equal, but funnier things have happened in racing. At set-weights, he's thrown in. In the NRM Sprint, he wasn't thrown in but he was still too good and we think he's in the same condition that he was for that day."
Raced by the Te Akau 2014 Breeding Syndicate, Xtravagant has won five of his nine starts, including a breath-taking 8 1/2-length win over Cambridge Breeders' Stakes rival Battle Time in the Gr.1 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November.
He possesses dazzling gate speed and is expected to easily find the front on Saturday for regular rider Matt Cameron.
Autridge and Richards will shoot for a Group-race double at Te Rapa, with last year's winner Abidewithme back to defend her title in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) for jockey Michael McNab, who celebrated his biggest win in the race last year.
"She's really well. It was a good run in the Easter last week but they just went too quick for her," Autridge said.
"The last 200m was the best part of her race. She's following the same leadup as last year. She's plotting the same course and hopefully we can get the same result." - NZ Racing Desk.