Fresh off providing the first four runners home in the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), trainer Jamie Richards has already begun to plan what the immediate future holds for each of his three-year-old fillies that contested the event.
The Perfect Pink (NZ) (Savabeel) provided Richards with his 50th Group One win as she defeated stablemates Shepherd’s Delight (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle), Belle En Rouge (NZ) (Burgundy) and Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), while the fifth Richards runner, Irish Red (NZ) (Burgundy) battled home bravely to finish seventh.
With such a wealth of riches in his three-year-old team, that also includes outstanding colt Noverre (NZ) (Savabeel) who claimed the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) a week earlier, Richards has a difficult task in maximising the opportunities available to each horse.
“It was a pretty amazing day on Saturday and a real credit to our staff who put in the long hours to help make it all possible,” Richards said.
“With raceday over it’s time to start thinking about where we go next with these fillies, so once the dust has settled a little, we will sit down and make some plans for them.
“I did think The Perfect Pink was our best chance on the day and she delivered on that.
“She is going to be flying home to Milan Park on Tuesday and can have an easy time of it for a while.
“She has always appealed as an Oaks type of filly so that will be where we head with her, although whether that is here or in Australia is a decision we will make further down the track.
“She is still quite immature and the question is whether she will be strong enough for Australia, but I expect her to really thrive with the trip away and we may see a different filly after Christmas.
“Shepherd’s Delight is quite similar to the Perfect Pink in that she still has plenty of maturing to do.
“At this stage we will be looking at some of the stakes races in the new year for her, while Belle En Rouge will most likely have a few days in the paddock down in the south before we think about bringing her home.
“She could well be set for a race like the Eulogy Stakes (Gr.3, 1600m) in early December. That is a race that Mark Walker liked to target with these fillies when he was in charge at Te Akau as they can do their build up down in the south before tackling the race on their way back to Matamata.”
Richards had been concerned race favourite Imperatriz may be suspect over the 1600m on Saturday and while she finished strongly into fourth, he has plans to restrict her to shorter distances for the time being.
“Imperatriz didn’t have much luck and pulled up well afterwards,” he said.
“She is also flying home on Tuesday and I think we will just drop her back to 1200m/1400m for her next few runs.
“A race like the Almanzor Trophy (Gr.3, 1200m) on Karaka Million night is one race we are thinking about.
“Of them all, Irish Red is the one that just didn’t cope with the tricky ground on the day and I think she is better placed over 1400m on a good track, so that is where we will look to take her.”
Richards advised that Noverre was enjoying some time off before he begins to get ready for a tilt at the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie, while last season’s Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) winner On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau) is ready to kick off at the Taupo trials on Monday.
“Noverre is back home and enjoying the good grass on the farm,” he said.
“He is in good shape and we want him ready for the Karaka Million 3YO Classic as his next test.
“At this stage he might have one run leading into that race, but that is something we will think about closer to the time.
“It is good to have On The Bubbles back in the stable after he had a procedure to fix an entrapped epiglottis.
“He will trial over 900m on Monday and then have another at Matamata a fortnight later before we look to see him out on raceday.”
Richards also reported that Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) winner Savy Yong Blonk (NZ) (Savabeel) and third-placed Prise De Fer (NZ) (Savabeel) would clash in the Gr.1 Rydges Wellington Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on December 4.
