Te Rapa trainer David Greene is making the most of the increased back door racing opportunities afforded him by current travel restrictions.
His team has been in fine touch and the extra meetings on his home track have proved to be a silver lining blown his way by the dark COVID-19 cloud.
“We’ve got a few nice horses going around at the moment and racing here has been a big help,” Greene said. “We’ve been lucky and you have to make use of any advantage you get.”
Stable stalwart Justamaiz (NZ) (Guillotine) and the progressive Judy’s Song (NZ) (Niagara) have been two recent winners on the course and they will give Greene a strong hand in Saturday’s Gr.3 Franklin Auctions Counties Cup (2100m) at Te Rapa.
Justamaiz returned from a break to finish fourth over 1600m before he successfully stepped up to 2100m last month and has trained on particularly well since.
“He obviously goes very well at Te Rapa and is in a really good space at the moment. He is far more relaxed and chilled out than he has ever been before,” Greene said.
“It’s allowed him to settle better in his races and he’s never gone better. Moving Counties to Te Rapa on Saturday is a big bonus and I really like the way he’s going.
“He’s really well and very happy and content with life, as a result he’s enjoying his trackwork and racing accordingly.”
Judy’s Song has two wins and two placings from her last four starts since the addition of headgear.
“She hasn’t put a foot wrong since she’s had a wee freshen up and her racing manners have really improved since we put the blinkers on her,” Greene said.
“Her form is hard to fault, although it will be a big step up in grade, but she keeps lifting and finding a way to be competitive.”
Greene is also blessed with depth in his stable with Just Dance (NZ) (Tavistock) and Marcella (NZ) (Sweynesse) a pair of promising three-year-old fillies who will be chasing black-type honours this season.
Just Dance was an impressive debut winner earlier this month at Te Rapa where the daughter of Tavistock ran right up to her pedigree. She is the first foal of the Alamosa mare Stolen Dance (NZ), a high-class mare who won 10 races, including the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m).
“We’ve always had a big opinion of her and for her to win over 1400m was great as she’s clearly a filly that is a stayer of the future,” Greene said.
Just Dance will make her second appearance in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) at Te Aroha on November 27.
“Hopefully, she will progress from there and we’ve got her entered in the Derby and the Oaks is a race we’ve been thinking about as well. You would imagine she will get 2400m, she’s a real athlete with a touch of class about her,” Greene said.
Marcella suffered an interrupted run when sixth in her Taupo debut before the daughter of Sweynesse broke her maiden at Te Aroha earlier this month to continue Greene’s remarkable run with her family.
“She’s a half-sister to Justamaiz so we obviously know the family very well. She’s the eighth individual winner out of that mare (Arthena) for the stable so she has done a brilliant job for me as a trainer,” he said.
“Marcella can run in three-year-old fillies’ stakes company when she gets up to a mile. I was a little bit surprised that she could win at 1200m and once she gets up in trip, she’s going to be a really nice filly for the stable.”
