After a flurry of winners in the final few days of May, Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh hopes to extend that good form into June with a talented team at Pukekohe on Saturday.
Marsh sits in second place on the New Zealand trainers’ premiership with 86 wins this season, 10 of them at Group and Listed level. His runners have earned more than $5 million in prizemoney, which is a new career best. He is closing in on his overall highest season total of 104 wins, which he set in 2021-22.
Marsh has trained six winners since May 22 alone, winning races with Irish Miss, Lovaci, Night Raider, Brynderwyn, Hoard The Bourbon and Thursday’s Riccarton winner Miss Nico Belle.
Saturday’s seven-race card at Pukekohe features four members of Marsh’s stable, and he is expecting a bold showing from every member of that quartet.
“It’s only a small team this week, but I think we’re going into that meeting with four really nice chances, so I’m looking forward to it,” Marsh said.
Marsh’s day kicks off with Shaking Stevens in the second race on the card, the Barfoot & Thompson (1600m).
The Oaks Stud homebred is by Triple Crown champion American Pharoah out of the unraced Darci Brahma mare Revise, who is a full-sister to Group One winner Devise, three-quarter-sister to Group One winner Catalyst, and half-sister to the multiple Group winner and Group One-placed Zurella.
Shaking Stevens was a two-time placegetter in the spring over Saturday’s 1600m distance, and the three-year-old gelding resumed with a solid fourth over 1400m at Te Rapa on May 4.
“I thought that was a really nice performance first-up, and getting back up to the mile on Saturday should really suit him,” Marsh said. “We’ve got Opie Bosson on.
“The track conditions are probably a bit of a concern – it’s going to be pretty testing. But he’s been working well, he looks great and he should be very competitive as long as he copes with the track.”
The TAB NZ (1200m) features fellow three-year-old The Exponent, who finished fourth at Rotorua on April 17 before stepping up to 1300m with a second placing on the Cambridge synthetic track on May 15.
“He probably just tried to go a little bit hard last start,” Marsh said. “He’s dropping back to 1200m for this race and the side winkers come off. He’s drawn wide, but hopefully Opie can get him into a nice position.
“The track conditions are a bit of a query again, but I think he’ll be hard to beat if he handles the ground.”
Marsh has two runners in the Skycity Horizon (1600m). Three-year-old Savabeel filly Irish Miss was a last-start maiden winner over 1750m at Taupo, while five-year-old mare Bassoroc has been close up in recent races and has a strong record on heavy tracks.
“Irish Miss is going from 1750m back to the mile, but I don’t see that as a negative for her,” Marsh said. “Her work has been good and I don’t think the track will worry her. I think she’s a really nice chance and might be a bit over the odds.
“The wetter, the better for Bassoroc. She’s been thereabouts lately and this will be her first run of the campaign on a track that really suits her. Sam (Weatherley, jockey) got off her last start and said he thought she could win her next race. I think she’s spot on.”
