Emerging 3yr-olds will test themselves over 1600m at Riccarton today ahead of next month’s New Zealand 1000 and 2000 Guineas races.
Emily Margaret, trained at Riccarton by Kevin and Pam Hughes, heads the field of Guineas hopefuls who are out to boost their stocks in today’s listed Zacinto Stakes. Emily Margaret hit the line strongly for third in a muddlingly run Guineas Trial at Riccarton earlier this month.
If today’s is a more truly run race it will give her trainers a line on whether she will handle the pressure of running 1600m in the group 1 1000 Guineas.
"Being the same distance as the 1000 Guineas we will know where we are at and what else we have to do," Kevin Hughes told NZ Racing News.
"It will be a good test.
"She galloped really well this week and I couldn’t really be any happier with her."
Bookmakers opened the royally bred colt The Chosen One favourite for today’s race.
The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained colt is by Savabeel from good former racemare The Glitzy One, a daughter of 2002 1000 Guineas winner The Jewel.
The Chosen One looked a stayer in the making in a front-running win at his only start, over 1400m, at Waverley recently.
Fire Show has run two bold races in strong fields in his last two outings and is another leading contender His trainers, John and Karen Parsons, have been in hot form and won three races at Wingatui on Tuesday.
Owner Kevin Hickman has two leading chances in the listed Spring Classic over 2000m at Riccarton.
The Valachi Downs stud proprietor has Zentessa lining up from Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong’s stable and The Heiress starts for him from the Baker-Forsman barn.
Their main rival looks to be Swing Note.The Jamie Richards-trained mare failed in her last start on a heavy Timaru track but is unlikely to face those conditions again today.
Swing Note was a brilliant winner of her two starts prior to her Timaru run.
