Cover image courtesy of Kenton Wright
Written by Bryan Littlely
Graeme Rogerson will stick to left-hand running circuits only for his 5-year-old Shooting To Win sprinter Mascarpone (NZ), saying he handles them better. And a like of the Te Rapa track for that reason, as well as the suitable surface, has Rogerson confident in Mascarpone being a contender on Saturday in the G1 BCD Group Sprint.
The racing direction at Te Rapa is going to play a real part in the futures of at least two or Rogerson’s eight runners across the day, with Princes Lowry (NZ) (Roc De Cambes {NZ}) to be tested on her ability to cope with a left-handed track in the G2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic over 2000 metres.
Rogerson said Mascarpone, a NZ$160,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Millions purchase from the Westbury Stud draft for the Butterworth Racing Syndicate and NZ Thoroughbred Holdings, would be very competitive in the Group 1 event, a big advantage being the direction he will be running the race in.
Graeme Rogerson
“He’s up there with the best sprinters,’’ Rogerson said. “He’s probably a length off the very best.
“He’s going to be very competitive and I expect him to run well. I think there’s two very good horses in the race in Levante and Entriviere.
“He always goes good at Te Rapa, it’s a very good field and there’s some very good hopes in the race, but he’s a better left-handed horse and he suits the Te Rapa surface,’’ said Rogerson who is also in Mascarpone’s ownership group.
No more right turn
Mascarpone has had two wins at the Te Rapa course, including last season in the G2 Foxbridge Plate and the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint, both over 1200 metres. He finished third in the BCD Group Sprint last year, which was won by Advantage (Fastnet Rock).
Mascarpone (NZ) | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Placed in the Legacy Lodge and G1 JR and N Berkett Telegraph over 1200 metres, he earlier this month accounted for Entriviere (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) in a trial at Te Rapa.
“He’s a far better horse left-handed. I don’t run him right-handed anymore.’’
Princess Lowry put to the test
Rogerson says his 3-year-old filly Princess Lowry in the G2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic will be put to the test over 2000 metres, also at Te Rapa, and because, unlike Mascarpone, is not particularly suited to a left-handed track.
“It’s a big test for her. She didn’t really go all that good left-handed. She got caught out on the limit at Wellington,’’ he said.
Princess Lowry (NZ) (red cap) | Image courtesy of Kirstin Ledington
“We’re hoping to go to the Oaks (with her), so Saturday will tell whether we carry on to the Oaks or we go right-handed at Ellerslie and look at Australia,’’ Rogerson added.
Each-way bet at home track
Team Rogerson racing has its own private training track at their Hamilton training facility so Rogerson says he can train how he chooses on it.
“We go one way one day and the other way the next… we’ve got our own private place so we can basically do what we want to do,’’ he said.
“Good horses make good trainers, that’s the bottom line. When you’ve got a good horse, it’s a big help. I think she is a nice filly and it will be interesting with Princess Lowry how she goes.’’ - Graeme Rogerson
“Good horses make good trainers, that’s the bottom line. When you’ve got a good horse, it’s a big help. I think she is a nice filly and it will be interesting with Princess Lowry how she goes.’’
Team Rogerson also has Gwen Stephani (NZ) (El Roca) and Villon (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) in the G3 Platinum Homes 2YO Classic, the juvenile feature race that was to be part of the abandoned Taranaki fixture last weekend.
