By Heather Anderson
Fresh off a victory in the G1 Windsor Park Horlicks Plate at Hastings on Sept. 23, Te Akau Racing's Gingernuts (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) is favoured to take the third and final leg of the Hawke's Bay Triple Crown, the G1 Livamol Classic over 2000 metres at Hastings, on Oct. 7. A strong fifth to Windsor Park Plate bridesmaid Close Up (NZ) (Shinko King {Ire}) in the first leg, the 1400m G1 Tarzino Trophy on Sept. 2, the 2017 G1 New Zealand Derby and G1 Rosehill Guineas hero appears primed for a big effort prior to crossing the Tasman to compete in the G1 Caulfield Cup on Oct. 21.
Co-trainer Stephen Autridge told the NZ Racing Desk, “Mark [Walker, who trains for Te Akau in Singapore] was back here last week and he brought up Princess Coup (Aus) (Sovereign Red {NZ}) running in all three legs at Hastings. He said Princess Coup got better with each one and not to worry about running Gingernuts in all three. He said she should have won the Caulfield Cup and the next one too.”
That runner had won the 2007 Livamol for Walker, before a third in that year's Caulfield Cup and a runner-up performance in the G1 MacKinnon S.
Autridge continued, “The Caulfield Cup has always been the number one aim and we'll make our minds up after that about the Melbourne Cup. He's never been better. He's at the top of his game. I'm happier that he's drawn out there [barrier 17] than one, two or three. From out there he can get back beyond midfield and even if he drops out to last I won't be worried. Opie [Bosson] can go round them whenever he wants and not be dictated to as he would be if he'd drawn in.”
2015 G1 Rosehill Guineas hero Volkstok'n'barrell (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) is looking to get back on track after a pair of fifths in his first two starts this season. The four-time Group 1 winner filled that position in a Sept. 2 1200m race at Ruakaka and in the wake of Gingernuts in the Windsor Park Plate on Sept. 23.
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