It will be an intriguing night all round at Addington on Friday as All Stars mount a more serious attack on the early season scene but Nathan agrees there are a few questions to be answered on the track as well.
Chief among them will be the return of Final Collect, Ok Boomer and Vinke B for their three year old campaigns, how two year olds Major Hot and Vessem (Vinke B’s brother) will fare against older horses on their debut and how Mon Lancome will fare after her maiden win here last start after a later decision was made to try her against the Sire Stakes fillies at only her second time to the races.
“Initially I was’t going to ask her to do that but although she was green she won her maiden fairly easily the other night so we may as well find out if she can make it at that age group level. If not we can adjust her programme accordingly” Nathan said
He is not expecting her to beat the favourite Fortify though.
“That was easy for her first up but she seems to have improved since then and from that gate you would expect her to take a lot of beating” said Nathan of Jean Feiss’s rising star.
Final Collect and Ok Boomer shaped up as youngsters with similar aspiration levels in classic company last year at two with greater expectations perhaps at three.
Ok Boomer just has bragging rights having won a Sires Stakes heat in September and chalking up placings in the Kindergarten, Diamond Creek and Welcome Stakes in mid range times before running fifth in the Sires Stakes Final and breaking 2.21 from the 9 gate.
“They are both well placed in the ratings so have their chance” Nathan said.
“Both of them seem to have done well off a break and have gone good at trials. Ok Boomer is a real looker while Final Collect is a strong solid type who would probably catch your eye more if you were looking for condition. Ok Boomer has a wide gate to contend with again but it shouldn’t be enough to stop him with any luck.Vinke B has the gate to go a top race too though”
The pair went to the line close together at the recent Rangiora trials against older horses comng from back in the field while La Rosa reeled off a 56.9 800 and both looked ready for race action.
Vinke B appears to have a lesser record on paper but luck has not been his ally to date.
He drew badly first up in 4 months in the spring,was caught wide on a 56.3 800 and faded. Second up he won the Sapling Stakes hanging on bravely in a tight finish, All Stars taking out the first four placings. Blair dictated the race in front leaving a 26.8 sprint home and Vinke B was perhaps denied the praise he deserved in the time-honoured feature given the overall stats.
Then he was held up on the inner in the straight at Addington in November in a 1.54.4 mile rate and failed altogether to handle a slushy track in the Timaru Nursery Stakes
But he acquitted himself well in the famous first five All Stars finish in the Ace of Spades on a 1.53.4 mile rate, wide from the 800 on a 55.8 800.His trial suggested those sort of times will be his target range this time in.
Final Collect,whose dam Collectable won the Delightful Lady Classic in the hands of Nicole Molander at 3 for All Stars and Studholme Stables-it shares in the ownership of Final Collect-had a quiet trial at Rangiora but he is another who has hinted his ability outranks his form.
He lobs into a R35-47 race this week and most will expect him to return to the winning list. He won his debut at Addington last May then endured frustration with tricky draws in some features later but ran a strong 2.21 in the Sires Stakes Final from the 7 gate and did especially well to finish 4th among the All Stars five in the Ace of Spades. Back and wide from the 800 on a 1.53.4 mile rate, he fought on gamely to get within 4.5 lengths of Don’t Stop Dreaming with the others in front of him also enjoying softer runs in the race. Don’t expect any fancy odds when he returns to Addington this week.
Given the two year olds preparing for bigger things: the proven form of Oscar Bonavena and No Matter Wat (Canterbury Breeders Stakes) both also with Olivia doing the honours: the well drawn Bollinger and Lumen Caeli clashing with Krug in the FFA,the night will,results aside, help the stable tighten up plans for the rest of the year.
An exciting evening lies in store.
PIC: Vinke B holding his rivals in the Sapling Stakes last season. He returns to racing on Friday