Increased opportunities for Polygon (NZ) (Highly Recommended) to add to her stakes record have encouraged her connections to lock in an autumn campaign in Australia.
The Cambridge Stud-bred and raced filly has been in grand form this preparation and bypassing the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) due to a heavy track earlier this month was another factor in looking further afield.
“We changed tack after missing that and had a good think about it,” said Lance Noble, private trainer for breeder-owner Cambridge Stud.
“She has won a Group Two and a Group Three in New Zealand and the only Group One here is the New Zealand Oaks (2400m).”
Polygon broke through at black type level when she won the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) before Christmas and the daughter of Highly Recommended was again victorious in the Gr.2 Royal Stakes (2000m) on New Year’s Day.
“If we take her over there is the potential to enhance what she has already done by winning a Group race in Australia and there’s two Group Ones there for her to have a crack at,” Noble said.
“She is booked to fly out on February 27 and will trial at Avondale next week and then go over on the following Monday.
“On March 10, she’ll run in the Kembla Grange Classic (Gr.3, 1600m) and hopefully from there on to the Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr.1, 2000m) two weeks later and then there’s the Australian Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m).”
In the meantime, the stable will be chasing a first stakes credit for Aquacade (NZ) (Dundeel) in Saturday’s Gr.2 ATR Avondale Cup (2400m) at Pukekohe.
The Dundeel four-year-old won the Dunstan Feeds Championship Final (2400m) on New Year’s Day and then romped to a six and a-half length victory in an open handicap over 2100m on a Heavy10 surface at Tauranga.
“With all due respect, it wasn’t the strongest open race but it was her first time in open company,” Noble said.
“With the weather we had up here she missed a gallop and it wasn’t the ideal prep. I thought she may have been a little bit underdone, but she was very impressive.
“She has come through the race well and there’s obviously a lot of rain around and while I don’t think she is a wet-tracker, she doesn’t hate it either.”
Aquacade’s recent performances have seen her elevated to $4.20 favouritism for her grand final in the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) on March 11.
Noble is hoping a drop back in class will boost the chances of his other representatives, Funny Girl (NZ) (Showcasing) and Iffin Doubt Dance (NZ) (Iffraaj), on Saturday.
“Funny Girl will be in the open sprint (Network Visuals, 1200m) and she’s a consistent little mare and has been running in stakes races in her last couple of starts and gone well so this might be a little easier for her,” he said.
The Showcasing four-year-old finished third in the Listed Hallmark Stud Handicap (1200m) two runs back and was then fifth in the Gr.3 Concorde Handicap (1200m).
“Iffin Doubt Dance is in a Rating 65 (Race Images, 2100m) and she ran fourth in the Karaka Cup (2200m) so dropping back should see her pretty competitive,” Noble said.
