Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong are hoping to give owner Kevin Hickman a big thrill at Ashburton on Saturday.
The Riccarton trainers will line-up promising filly Perfectly Suited in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) for the racing stalwart.
“Kevin Hickman has been a great supporter for a long time and though he hasn’t been well, his family has been good to us and we have two good fillies from them that should go a lot further,” Kennedy said.
By Hickman’s stallion Savile Row, Perfectly Suited has already won once and placed on two occasions in her three career starts, including runner-up last start in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) to Saturday race rival One Kiss.
Perfectly Suited has subsequently been hampered by a foot issue, but her trainers believe she is in full health ahead of her weekend assignment.
“She was probably going to run two weeks ago so I guess she had a bit of a hiccup with a foot abscess, but we weren’t overly concerned about her missing the last run,” Kennedy said.
“She did miss a bit of work, but she is not that difficult in that sense that she needs a lot. Her work on Tuesday was very good and she seems 100 percent.”
Perfectly Suited has drawn barrier eight and Kennedy said they are likely to take conservative riding tactics with the filly.
“I think she is best ridden conservativel,” he said. “While Ashburton is a difficult track to do that on, a perfect scenario is that she is a bit closer, midfield.
“It is normally a strongly run race that allows horses to come from off the speed. If she doesn’t get too far off them I don’t think it will be a problem.
“1400m will be ideal, getting to the mile will certainly suit her going forward from Saturday. The (1000) Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) at Riccarton should be ideal.”
Fellow Canterbury Belle Stakes placegetter Kikimora will also represent the stable in the Clem & Russell Brand Memorial (1600m).
“She is one of those horses that doesn’t like to leave her mates, she gets there easy enough but won’t carry on,” Kennedy said.
“The blinkers go on. Her work has been pretty good, she seems well in herself so hopefully she can get her nose in front and keep on running.”
The stable will be represented by four other runners, including last start placegetters Bolshoi Star and La Frox in the Cochranes of Canterbury (1200m), and Petty’s Legacy in the Savile Row & Vespa Standing at Mapperley Stud (1400m), and Stan With Me in the Hinds Ridge Farming (1400m).
“Both Bolshoi Star and La Frox are at the same stage,” Kennedy said. “Bolshoi Star gets all the right sort of runs, she certainly has the ability and this will tell us where we are going from here, whether we step up to Listed level and have a crack. She has a Guineas nomination.
“La Frox has had her issues as a young horse through the spring but she seems well and Anna has done a good job to keep her where she is at. Her first run was good and she seems to have improved a lot off that. Again we will know a lot more after Saturday’s race.”
