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Guineas path undecided for Dawn Patrol; Bocce ready for return

Guineas path undecided for Dawn Patrol

Unbeaten three-year-old Dawn Patrol pleased trainer Frank Ritchie with his last-start victory over 1400m at Matamata on Saturday but his path towards the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) is currently undecided.

The Dawn Approach gelding will bypass Monday’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa and could head towards the trials in the lead-up to next month’s Riccarton feature.

“We’re still mulling over Christchurch, he’s pulled up tremendously well (since his last-start),” Ritchie said.

“I haven’t put him in the Sarten, I thought it might have been a bit soon, so we’ve got to find some way to give him another run, maybe only a trial.”

Bocce ready for return

Stakes-placed galloper Bocce is set to resume on Saturday in the Faulkner Drainage 3YO (1215m) at Rotorua and has won a trial to fit him for his return to racing.

Trained by Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard, Bocce was a debut winner before finishing third to Champion Two-Year-Old Avantage in the Listed Karaka Million (1200m) and fourth in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m).

“He won his trial well recently at Cambridge and came on for it,” Gerard said.

“He’s coming back from a pretty hard two-year-old season, but we’re happy with him and he’s still got plenty of improvement in him.”

Although quite tractable as a young colt, Bocce has been gelded since last racing.

“He seems to be doing everything right and is a bit more settled,” Gerard said.

“Bolt From The Blue will probably lead on Saturday and he can position where he’s comfortable. He’s usually been quick out of the gates and landed in a position to be right there and he should run well.”