In-form mare Quota will be on trial for a trip across the Tasman when she heads to Trentham on Sunday to contest the Graham’s Painters 2200.
The Makfi five-year-old has won her last three races and booked a berth in next month’s The Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool when winning the NZB Airfreight Road To The Jericho (3210m) at New Plymouth last month, but her trip is far from assured.
“She would have to go quite well on Sunday for us to confirm her trip over there,” trainer Jo Rathbone said.
“It is probably a lot stronger company on Sunday, so it will be a bigger test for her I think.
“She has been working well since her last run and I am happy with her.”
Rathbone has tasted plenty of success in Australia as an owner, courtesy of her star jumper Tallyho Twinkletoe, and she would love to head across the Tasman with a horse under her own name to contest the region’s longest flat race.
“It is a bit of a different race as far as an extreme distance, up and down hills, and around corners. You have got to have a horse that suits something like that but she is quite tough,” she said
“We will see how she goes on Sunday and make a call from there to whether we take her or not.”
Rathbone is also excited about the prospects of Brozgottwinkletoes, who will line-up in the Hiremaster 2100.
“He is working really well. I really like that horse. He is a little bit tricky at times, but he definitely has a bit of ability,” Rathbone said.
“We might look to take him down to Christchurch. He is definitely a staying type. There is a 2500m race on the last day (of the New Zealand Cup carnival) there and we might look to go to something like that.”
A stablemate already down south is Mr Twinktletoes, who will be tested at stakes level for the first time in the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton on Saturday.
The Zacinto gelding has only been tested over 1200m in his first two career starts, placing at Otaki on debut, and Rathbone thinks he will thrive over the mile distance this weekend.
“He has been working really well and shows a bit of ability, so we thought we might as well send him down,” Rathbone said.
“He definitely wants a mile. 1200m, which he has raced over so far, has been a bit short for him.
“He is nominated for the Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) but he would obviously have to go pretty well on Saturday to head towards that.”
Rathbone purchased Mr Twinkletoes out of a Valachi Downs dispersal sale on gavelhouse.com last year for $4,100 and he is proving to be a bargain buy for the Wanganui horsewoman.
“Kevin (Myers) used to train the mother Tiebreaker, so I knew the mother,” Rathbone said.
“She was quite quick. She won quite a few races and was a smart mare. He looked like a nice type of horse too so my partner and I thought he might be worth a crack.”
