Hastings trainers Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen are hoping to snare top honours in the Gr.2 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes (2100m) at their home track on Wednesday with Love Letter (NZ) (Wrote).
The Wrote filly heads into the race in good form, having won one of her five starts and placed in three others, including the Gr.2 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) behind Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) favourite La Crique (NZ) (Vadamos) at Trentham last month.
Lowry is pleased with his filly ahead of Wednesday but he admitted to being slightly concerned about her wide alley of nine in the 11-horse field.
“I am happy with her. I thought her run was good in the Desert Gold and she backed that up with a nice run last start (runner-up over a mile at Hastings),” Lowry said.
“It will be difficult from the draw. I would like to be riding her a bit more forward, but the bad draw is keeping us from going forward at this stage.
“Self Obsession and a couple of others in there are good fillies, but she should be competitive.”
Love Letter doesn’t hold a nomination for next month’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m), but Lowry said they will give serious consideration to a late nomination if she were to win on Wednesday.
“If she were to win we would have to look at the Oaks, but she has been up a long time,” Lowry said.
Lowry has a couple of other runners in on the eight-race card but believes Shezzacatch (NZ) (Savabeel) is one of their better chances in the Time Test’s Pick Lot 448 1400.
“Shezzacatch freshened nicely since Wellington and hopefully she can have a bit of luck. She has been going alright,” Lowry said.
Meanwhile, Lowry has welcomed the return of promising three-year-old Wewillrock (NZ) (El Roca) to his barn.
The El Roca gelding has won two of his five starts and placed in two, including a last start third placing behind Sword Of State (Snitzel) and Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) in the Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie last month.
It was a pretty good run in the Almanzor considering he was never on the right leg,” Lowry said.
“It was his first time that way around after a long trip up there, so I believe there is a lot more instore for him.
“He is back in work and will be heading towards the Cambridge Breeders’ (Gr..3, 1200m). “He is coming along nicely. He has shown a lot of promise and continues to do well in work.”
