Sharon Robertson had a taste of the Group One action at Ellerslie nearly 16 years ago, and on Boxing Day she will return to the northern headquarters with Matscot taking on the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2050m).
Back in 2008, the Canterbury horsewoman took her stable star Delbrae to Ellerslie to contest the Gr.1 New Zealand Stakes (2000m), where he finished just out of the placings behind Sir Slick. The race was Delbrae’s final start in a highly successful career, where he won just shy of $500,000 in stakes, with victories in the Listed Marton Cup (2200m), Listed Spring Classic (2000m), Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) and Gr.2 Coupland’s Mile (1600m).
“We travelled up from Canterbury then and Vinnie (Colgan) rode him, I think he got fourth,” Robertson said.
“He’s about 24 now, still happy and he’s got a lovely home.”
Matscot, a horse co-bred by Robertson and her partner Alan Reeves, had big shoes to fill and has come close to matching the feats of Delbrae so far in his career, winning the Listed Spring Classic (2000m) and $350,000 Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) last term.
As a seven-year-old, his upward trajectory only continued, placing in the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) and Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) through the spring.
The gelding was awkwardly away from the barriers in the Gr.1 Mufhasa Classic (1600m) earlier this month and finished ninth, but his closing sectionals were only bettered by Ladies Man and La Crique, indicating a step-up over ground was looming.
Colgan partnered the son of Haradasun in the Arrowfield and will be back on board this Thursday, having drawn the ace barrier in a high-class field.
“He missed away a bit and his sectionals were very good, but he’s looking for 2000m now, which he will get here, and we’ll have Vinnie back on him,” Robertson said.
“He will fly out today (Monday). Hopefully everything goes to plan on Thursday. I think he can be right there.”
