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Manawatu option for Coventina Bay; Ranting rearing to go at Pakenham; In A Twinkling set to shine in Pakenham Cup
Manawatu option for Coventina Bay
New Plymouth trainer Robbie Patterson has elected to skip a trip to Wellington this weekend with his dual Group Three winner Coventina Bay.
The daughter of Shamexpress is readying for her raceday resumption and after winning a 1000m heat at the Foxton trials on November 16, she put in an unsatisfactory performance at Cambridge a week later.
"I trialled her about three weeks ago at Foxton and she trialled really well," Patterson said.
"I wanted to get her to an open 1200m at Trentham this weekend, so I took her up to the polytrack at Cambridge and she got the kick back in her face. Craig Grylls rode her and said she didn't like that so I was scratching my head until he told me that."
Patterson will now aim Coventina Bay at the Gr.2 Carters Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni on December 18, with another trial planned beforehand.
"I'll go to the trials next week at Foxton just to get a bit more confidence back," he said. "Not that I am worried about it, but everything has to be going right to head towards those sort of races.
"She is fit and well and in better shape physically than she has ever been, she has no issues at the moment, which has been her problem the whole way through.
"With a bit of luck, we might be able to pick up a Group One."
Ranting rearing to go at Pakenham
Trainers Leon and Troy Corstens are hoping Ranting can return to his winning ways in the David Bourke Memorial Handicap (1200m) at Pakenham on Saturday.
The New Zealand-bred four-year-old has been absent from the winner's stall since his victory in the Gr.3 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield last year and his conditioners are keen for a return.
Ranting will be lining up for the fourth start of his preparation on Saturday.
He finished fourth first-up at The Valley behind Dexelation over 1000m on Cox Plate Day before stepping up to 1200m and finishing down the track behind Quantico in the Listed MSS Security Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.
At his last start, Ranting did not get a lot of clear galloping room when a close-up third to Aquagirl over 1100m at Ballarat.
"I think he's back to full fitness on Saturday and the 1200 metres should suit," Troy Corstens said.
"It looks a great race for him, Pakenham should be a nice even track and I think he can definitely win.
"He's a four-year-old stallion now and he's just taken a bit longer to come to hand than we thought, and the blinkers go back on Saturday as well.
"They should help him concentrate and bit."
In A Twinkling set to shine in Pakenham Cup
Former Kiwi galloper In A Twinkling will put his stakes credentials to the sword once again on Saturday when he lines-up in the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m).
The six-year-old gelding has had just the two runs for new trainer Lindsay Smith who believes his new acquisition is nearing peak fitness.
In A Twinkling ran a first-up seventh on a heavy track at Cranbourne last month before backing up the following week when eighth in the Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m), both times with Craig Newitt in the saddle.
"But I reckon the next one, he will be even better," Smith told RSN.
"The 2500m is a good race for him but on December 18 there's a 2600m Benchmark 100.
"Let's hope he wins the Pakenham Cup and gets out weighted in the Flemington race."
Now a six-year-old, In A Twinkling showed plenty of promise as a younger horse when trained by Te Akau's Jamie Richards, for whom he had four wins, including back-to-back Gr.3 Counties Cups (2100m).
He also performed at the hightest level, placing in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) and Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m), both at Ellerslie.
Smith is looking forward to the future with In A Twinkling where he hopes to add to his stakes success.
"There's a couple of good races coming up for him," Smith said.
"There's some races in Tasmania, there's maybe the Adelaide Cup, but I think he's a couple of rungs under the good ones here although his two runs for me have been pretty good.
"The 2500m on Saturday, a good gate, he'll roll close to the lead and if no-one wants to lead, he might even lead.
"The jockey has been quite happy with him and it's always good to have the jockey smiling."
In A Twinkling was purchased out of Curraghmore's 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale draft by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $250,000.
