In a quiet racing period for Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman, he has the advantage of two quality gallopers contesting the open-class races through the winter in Turn The Ace (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) and Wessex (NZ) (Turn Me Loose).
Front-running five-year-old Turn The Ace is renowned for his impeccable record at Te Rapa with seven victories from 13 starts at the venue, the most recent success coming on June 15 in heavy track conditions.
“It was another good effort, it’s never easy to get on pace and hold them off on a rain-affected track, especially when the middle part of the track is the better place to be,” Forsman said.
“He seems to be racing as well as he always has and hopefully he’s got one more in him at Te Rapa on Saturday.”
The son of Turn Me Loose will contest the UBP Te Awamutu Cup (1600), benefitting from Triston Moodley’s three-kilogram allowance as the 61.5kg topweight.
“Hopefully he can roll forward and get across to the rail, going up in weight you’re always vulnerable on wet tracks but I’m sure he’ll be right in the finish again,” Forsman said.
Turn The Ace was purchased as a yearling by Forsman as a product of The Sunlight Trust, who have enjoyed a multitude of success with the stable this season including Moonlight Magic’s second placing in the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m).
“The Sunlight Trust have had horses with us for a while now, but Turn The Ace just happened to be bred by them and was in the first crop of Turn Me Loose progeny available at the sales,” Forsman said.
“I liked the fact he was out of a Lonhro mare (Frescoes), and we actually had his half-sister owned by the Sunlight Trust who showed a bit of ability, which was another reason why I bought him.”
Forsman is also looking forward to stepping Amazing Grace out over ground in the John Young Family 2200, the lightly-tried Tavistock mare firing home late at her second-up run from a spell of 17 months.
“Obviously first-up at 1400m after being off the scene for a long time was too sharp for her, but she improved a lot into last start and went better than I actually had expected,” he said.
“She’s had natural improvement again from that and worked up well, with the better draw we’d expect to see her right in the finish this time.”
Further south at Hastings, Wessex will represent Forsman in the Valley D’Vine Restaurant Handicap (1400m) after adding further black-type when third in the Listed Tauranga Classic (1400m).
Wessex will carry a luxury weight of 50kgs under apprentice jockey Rihaan Goyaram in the compact seven-horse field.
“It’s nice to drop back from weight-for-age to carry 50 kilos, it’s a big advantage,” Forsman said.
“Our takeaway from Tauranga was that she is looking for a bit further now, she was just a bit casual over the 1400m and got left flat-footed so that’ll be the query on Saturday.
“She can jump and put herself on speed with the lighter weight, and how she performs on Saturday will determine whether we aim toward an Opunake Cup (Listed, 1400m) or freshening her up and going for a mile in the spring time.”
Juvenile stablemate Prochester (NZ) (Proisir) will be one of three debut runners in the Sign Central 2YO (1100m) at Hastings, racing in the colours of owner-breeders Okaharau Station.
“He’s had a couple of trials, the last one was just a quiet run over 800m at Pukekohe,” Forsman said.
“He’s a nice horse, the penny is still yet to drop so that’s why we’re giving him the experience of going further and a bit of a trip away.
“This will probably be his only run for the preparation, he’ll go to the paddock and I’m looking forward to seeing what he matures and develops into as a three-year-old because I think it’s all ahead of him.
“In saying that, he’s certainly still capable of running a cheeky race on Saturday.”
Back home in Cambridge, spring preparations are in full swing for Forsman with Group One winners Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls) and Mustang Valley (NZ) (Vanbrugh) among a string of well-performed gallopers returning for new campaigns.
“It is a pretty quiet time racing-wise but it’s nice to have those spring horses back and going,” Forsman said.
“They all seem to be coming along nicely, and it’ll only be a month before they are out and trialling and getting serious about getting back to the races.”
