3 minute read
Trainer Kristen Buchanan has no doubt emerging mare Pandora Blue is the ideal horse to target the 2022 Provincial Championships series.
The four-year-old will wrap up her spring campaign in the Midway Handicap (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday and the Wyong trainer sees no reason she can't make it five wins from seven starts.
The Provincial Championships is restricted to Class 5 horses so Pandora Blue will be right on that limit if she can win again but that doesn't concern Kristen Buchanan.
"She might have to carry a bit of extra weight but I think you're better off taking a quality horse to the race that's up to winning at metro level,'' she said.
"I'm glad we got the opportunity to run in two Midways with her by keeping her benchmark low early. It does look a nice race for her."
Pandora Blue led all the way to win a 1200m Midway at Randwick two weeks ago and while she drew 10 in the initial draw Buchanan didn't mind as it will give her time to roll across.
The four-year-old, $2.80 favourite with TAB on Friday, is a half-sister to Buchanan's former top mare Two Blue, who was an autumn seven-year-old when she won the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes so she's expecting Pandora Blue to only get better with age.
"We haven't rushed her because physically she wasn't there early but the owners are patient,'' she said.
"They like racing their horses for a long time and Two Blue was only getting to her best from a five-year-old."
The Provincial Championships series begins with the first of five $150,000 Qualifiers in late February and culminates with the $500,000 Final at Randwick on Day 2 of The Championships.
Buchanan is confident she has front-running galloper Jazzland back to his best form and is hopeful he can break through in the Mates In Construction Handicap (1800m).
The gelding, $3.90 with TAB on Friday, has been runner-up in two runs back over a mile and he meets the favourite Shibli 3.5kg better for their clash at Gosford on September 22 where there was less than half a length between them.
"I really love this horse. I'm very pleased with him,'' Buchanan said.
"I feel like he's a good horse fresh and needs recovery time between his races. He's bursting at the seams.
"Last prep was a bit of a debacle, he came back from injury and I was nursing him and it didn't work. This time I feel like he's really on track."
Josh Parr rides Jazzland once again, he was on board Buchanan's mare Margie Bee when they opened up a huge midrace lead at Rosehill last week before holding on for third.
While Jazzland is a noted front-runner the trainer said he is a lot easier to contain than the mare.
