After re-establishing herself as a winner, Luvaluva (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) will start the short-priced favourite to enhance her record in the Listed January Cup (2000m) at Randwick.
The John Sargent-trained mare won the Gr.3 Summer Cup on December 26 over the same 2000m-course as Saturday’s Listed race.
Her previous victory came in the Adrian Knox Stakes, also over the Randwick 2000m, in April 2018.
A few months earlier she won the Gr.2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington before running fourth in the VRC Oaks (2500m) won by Pinot (Pierro).
She has opened at $2.40 in the seven-horse field in a cramped market with National Guard (War Front) the outsider at $15.
While she went more than 18 months between wins, Sargent had geared Luvaluva’s spring campaign around the A$1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange on November 23.
“She is a horse who is better over the longer distances but we were concentrating on The Gong,” Sargent said.
“Sometimes it is hard going from their three-year-old season into their four-year-old year but at five she is a stronger mare.”
Luvaluva started equal favourite in The Gong but finished sixth, 1-1/2 lengths behind the winner Mister Sea Wolf (Amadeus Wolf).
The mare then developed a minor hock infection which put paid to any notion of a trip to Perth or New Zealand for a Group One race.
Luvaluva will be again be ridden by Koby Jennings who claimed his first Group win in the Summer Cup.
She goes up two-and-a-half kilograms from the 56.5kg she carried to win last start.
