Quality mare Town Cryer (NZ) (Tavistock) performed with distinction in her first appearance at Ellerslie and trainer Roydon Bergerson has every reason to expect another bold showing there on Saturday.
The daughter of Tavistock finished a gallant runner-up last time out in the inaugural Rangitoto Classic (1500m) to confirm a return for this weekend’s feature, the Gr.1 NZEA New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).
The free-going Town Cryer has been in great touch this year and the Awapuni-based Bergerson is looking forward to the six-year-old giving another top account of herself.
“She worked really well this (Tuesday) morning and she’s had a look around Ellerslie,” Bergerson said.
“There doesn’t look to be too much pace in the race so hopefully she will get a reasonable lead.”
Three runs back, Town Cryer finished third in the Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m), when conceding the winner Churchillian (NZ) (Churchill) and runner-up Apostrophe (NZ) (Tavistock) 4.5kg and 3kg respectively.
She was then victorious in the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (2000m) before finishing determinedly to run second in the Rangitoto Classic, again giving the winner Jaarfi (NZ) (Iffraaj) 4.5kg.
Town Cryer is a proven frontrunner, although she has also shown she is no one trick pony.
“She doesn’t have to lead and if something else wants to take her on she can take a sit,” Bergerson said.
“She had the big weight the other day and had to carry them all up and she only got sling shotted the last bit. She fought strongly to the line and is a really tough mare.”
Bergerson will wait until after this weekend before deciding whether Town Cryer has one more run or goes for a break.
“If she went really super then we would maybe look at the Travis Stakes (Gr.2, 2000m), but she has been up for a while,” he said.
“She is handling things a lot better than she did last year though.
“She has got a lot better mentally and is physically stronger. She’s a lot easier to deal with, she used to be quite a tart but takes it all in her stride now.”
Town Cryer will be partnered at Ellerslie by Craig Grylls, who has ridden the mare at her last two starts and eight times overall for four wins, including the Listed ANZAC Mile (1600m).
She was bred by Wanganui couple Peter and Barbara Smith and is raced by them with a number of partners with leased interests.
“We’ve got another season with her, which is good of the Smith family,” Bergerson said.
“If for any reason she didn’t come up again then she would go to stud, so we’ll see what happens.”
Town Cryer is a daughter of the Volksraad mare The Speaker (NZ) and the family of the Smith-bred Willy Smith (NZ) (Volksraad), who won the Wellington Cup (3200m) when it caried Group One status.
