Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman celebrated a comfortable victory at Cambridge on Wednesday with Medina (NZ) (American Pharoah) in the Martin Collins New Zealand MAAT 1550.
The striking filly dictated as pacemaker throughout under Michael McNab, and pulled away at the top of the straight to score stylishly by 2-3/4 lengths over last-start winning duo Nystrom (NZ) (Iffraaj) and Chattahoochee (NZ) (Reliable Man).
“I thought she was much improved, she’s always been a filly that’s shown a lot of ability but hadn’t quite put it together on race day,” Forsman said.
“The best thing about today was seeing her win so dominantly after being given a very good ride.”
Forsman said the American Pharoah three-year-old may be ready for a spell, however, due to her liking for the synthetic surface he may aim her for the Rating 75 1550m event at Cambridge on August 16th.
The Cambridge trainer will now turn his attention to three runners representing the stable at Te Rapa on Saturday, with Turn The Ace (NZ) (Turn Me Loose), Russian Satire (Russian Revolution), and last-start winner Leedox (NZ) (Time Test).
Five-win gelding Turn The Ace was too tough two starts back when winning at Te Rapa in heavy conditions and will likely meet similar ground at a much lighter weight when contesting the Bob & Colleen Donaldson Memorial Open Handicap (1400m).
“He was a little bit disappointing at Tauranga, but we put it down to the holding nature of the track, he didn’t quite get through it and it has tripped him up at times,” Forsman said.
“We’re hopeful that back at Te Rapa, a track he seems to go really well on, he can bounce back to his best form,” Forsman said.
The son of in-form stallion Turn Me Loose will be partnered with top hoop Michael McNab, who also combines with the stakes-winning gelding Leedox in the Property Brokers Taumarunui 3YO (1400m).
Forsman indicated that the heavy conditions may challenge the son of Time Test, who produced a tough victory at Ruakaka last start to add to his Listed Auckland Futurity Stakes (1400m) win last autumn.
“The better the track the better off he’ll be, so we’re hoping for fine weather and the track to get to the better side of Slow for him to be at his best,” he said.
Russian Satire is nominated for multiple events but Forsman is leaning toward starting the three-year-old filly within her Rating 65 grade, under McNab in the Woods Contracting 1300.
“The 3YO race has come up a little bit tough but we’ll work that out closer to the time (where she starts),” Forsman said.
“She’s in really good form, she won well on a pretty heavy track at Te Rapa and things just haven’t quite gone right for her since.”
“With any sort of luck she should be competitive in either race she contests.”
