Rising talent Zormella contested the NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie last month, and on Saturday she will return to the Auckland venue as a key player in the Gr.3 Trelawney Stud Championship Stakes (2100m).
The daughter of Almanzor was a late inclusion in the southern hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race after stablemate Dealt With was ruled out of the $3.5 million contest. At just her third start, she was far from disgraced and showed her class when returning to Rating 65 company last-start putting over three lengths on Monday Melody.
Rapt with the performance, trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood are looking forward to stepping their filly out over ground for the first time.
“She couldn’t have been more impressive than what she was, it was there for all to see,” James said. “She did a little bit of work early, then relaxed well and kicked clear.
“We’re going to see on Saturday, but we’re of the belief that it (2100m) will suit her better than the mile. It’s a big step up in quality of field, but we’re pretty certain she’ll be competitive.
“We’ll see how she goes on Saturday and how she comes through it before making any further decisions going forward.”
The Cambridge trainers prepare Zormella for a large ownership group, put together by the Racehorses New Zealand Frac Club and Surf Coast Racing.
“It’s our first horse involved with them (FRAC Club), and I believe this is their first horse too,” James said. “They’ve picked a good one to get going with.”
Joining Zormella in the three-year-old feature will be Grey Area, a Pierro gelding coming out of the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).
“He had a tough run in the Derby and I think you can put a line through that run,” James said.
“He worked with the filly (Zormella) on Tuesday morning and his work was equal to hers, they were both very good. He looks tremendous, he’s a big horse that has handled his preparation very well.”
The Listed SkyCity Star Way Stakes (1200m) has attracted a tidy field of up-and-coming juveniles, with Kingsclere Stables represented by Trelawney Stud filly Steezy.
A well-bred daughter of Russian Revolution, Steezy has finished runner-up in her first two starts, including at Ellerslie earlier this month behind Wyndstorm.
“She’s a very good worker at home and you know what you’ve got when you take her to the races,” James said.
“She’s still a bit frail and getting there maturity-wise, this will be her last run of this prep. It’s black-type and if she can run in the first three, it’s very valuable for her.”
Completing the stable’s runners at Ellerslie will be Hasstobeawinner, a consistent galloper who collected the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final at the course on Boxing Day before placing in the Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m), won by El Vencedor.
He contested the Gr.2 Japan Trophy (1600m) last-start at set weights and penalties, and James believes he will find the Gr.3 Manco Easter Handicap (1600m) a more suitable option.
“I think the conditions of this race suit him better, he loves Ellerslie and he’s in grand order,” James said.
Prior to the stakes racing action on Saturday, James and Wellwood will have two runners at Matamata on Thursday, including last-start winner The Charm in the Matamata Function Centre Mile (1600m).
“He’d always promised that (maiden win) and it was nice to see in the end, I think he’s still learning his trade and he’ll get further at some stage as well,” James said.
The Charm will be partnered by Hamish McNeill in the highweight contest, while James is unsure whether he will start Hephaestus in the Lest We Forget 1600 or the Robow’s 1600.
“I’m not certain which race we’ll run him in yet, but he’s a horse of the future and is probably six months away like a lot of The Autumn Sun’s,” he said.
“He let himself down a little bit last-start after a promising run the time before, so we’ve freshened him and he comes into the race in nice order.”