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Rotorua target for Supreme Heights; Queensland options not to be sneezed at ; Group tests for Ramsay-Ritchie duo

Rotorua target for Supreme Heights

Multiple Group Three winner Supreme Heights was back in action at the Taupo trials on Tuesday, running out a comfortable winner of her 1225m heat.

The Mark Brosnan-trained mare is being readied for the weight-for-age Gr.3 Rydges Rotorua Stakes (1400m) for fillies and mares on May 15.

"We were happy with her trial. She did enough and I would have been disappointed if she couldn't win like she did, but she did it well and had a good blow," Brosnan said.

"I am still a little bit concerned not having a race leading into that run but in handicap races now, she just gets loaded with weight. I don't really want to run her with 62kgs on her back."

Supreme Heights is rated 99 and has been a model of consistency throughout her career, winning seven of her 19 starts and placing on a further five occasions, however the daughter of Jimmy Choux does prefer some easing in the ground.

"She raced on Matamata Breeders' Stakes Day and jarred up a bit on the ground that day," Brosnan said.

"Our plans were to go to the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (Gr.1, 1600m) at Te Aroha but she had a couple of weeks out after jarring up and we brought her back up with this race at Rotorua in mind.

"She has had two starts at Rotorua for two wins. She obviously likes the place and Rotorua is one of those courses that if they like it, they invariably go well there."

Brosnan didn't rule out a tilt at the Queensland carnival, but the Matamata horseman was keen to see how the mare fared at Rotorua and also had to discuss the options with the owners.

Queensland options not to be sneezed at

Trainer Stephen Marsh will give good consideration to options in Queensland with exciting three-year-old filly Atishu .

The daughter of Savabeel has won four races in succession, including the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) and Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton.

"She has gone to the next level," Marsh said.

"I was a bit heart in my mouth on Saturday (in the Warstep) when she was a clear last and looked like she might have been under a bit of pressure momentarily, but she quickened up well.

"She ran a faster last 600m than the open sprinters. She is just winning with so much authority."

Sporting the colours of syndicators Go Racing, Atishu was making her way back to Cambridge on Wednesday and should she make the Queensland carnival is likely to be the sole representative from the Marsh stable.

"She is on her way home now to the farm. I'm going to have a look at her tomorrow and then we will make a call over the next few days whether we go to Australia," Marsh said.

"It is a big call to go, obviously with the flights the way they are we couldn't fly to Christchurch and had to float all the way down and all the way home, so we want to make sure she is 110 percent.

"We will know how we are travelling after the weekend. If we do get her to Australia she is one well worth going."

Group tests for Ramsay-Ritchie duo

Trainers Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie will head to Te Rapa on Saturday with a couple of Group contenders.

Siracusa has been in good form of late, with the stakes winner finishing runner-up in the Gr.1 Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga last month before running fifth in the Gr.1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa.

She will return to the Hamilton track on Saturday where she will jump from barrier eight in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m).

It will be her first test over 2000m but her trainers believe she will thrive over the distance.

"Every time she races she is always strong through the line in a mile, so I think the 2000m will really suit her," Ramsay said.

Earlier on the card stablemate Side By Side will be gunning for a hat-trick of wins in the Gr.3 Inglis Sales Cambridge Breeders' Stakes (1200m).

"She has won her last two so she is entitled to have a chance in it," Ramsay said. "It is a good field and she has drawn 13, which is probably not going to be ideal. She is a filly who has got to be covered up and if she is covered up she can attack the line strongly.

"It's good to have two horses in black-type races on the weekend."