Only one part of Skew Wiff’s build-up to the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham on Saturday has not gone to plan for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, and it is a factor beyond their control.
The Trentham track was rated a Soft6 on Friday morning, with MetService predicting heavy rain and possible thunderstorms and hail overnight. Any remaining showers are forecast to ease on the morning of the race.
“We couldn’t be any happier with the horse, but we’re just a bit worried about that weather forecast,” Walker said. “She handles soft ground well and has a good record in those conditions, but if the forecast is right, it might end up being heavy. We wouldn’t be as confident in her chances if that happened.”
The Telegraph will be Skew Wiff’s second start at Trentham, with both of those appearances coming at Group One level. She lined up in the Levin Classic (1600m) as a three-year-old two seasons ago, finishing a gallant second behind stablemate Romancing The Moon.
Skew Wiff went on to prove her big-race quality by winning last season’s Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings and Gr.3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) at Flemington. As a five-year-old this season, she has added a third in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa, a fourth in the Tarzino Trophy and a last-start second in the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Matamata on October 2.
Walker and Bergerson then decided to freshen the Savabeel mare up for a shot at the $550,000 Telegraph, in which she will be ridden by visiting Australian jockey Luke Currie and is rated a $5 chance in the TAB’s Final Field market. She shares second favouritism with Tarzino winner Grail Seeker, while Crocetti just shades them as the $4.50 favourite.
“She has a very strong record fresh, so it made sense for us to set her for this race in that state,” Walker said. “We’ve been really happy with the build-up that she’s had. She was very good in her trial at Matamata (on December 20) and has continued to please us since then. That weather forecast is our only concern.”
Skew Wiff will attempt to deliver another Telegraph triumph for her owner-breeders Waikato Stud, whose colours were carried to victory in the race in 1997 by their subsequent superstar stallion O’Reilly.
Meanwhile, Walker and Bergerson also have two runners entered for Saturday’s Gr.3 Rydges Wellington Airport Phar Lap Trophy (1600m). This race was formerly known as the Anniversary Handicap, and Te Akau Racing has won it with Abidewithme (2014) and Belle En Rouge (2023).
Their contingent in this year’s edition of the race is headed by My Lips Are Sealed, who was a $160,000 purchase by David Ellis at Karaka 2022 and has so far recorded three wins and three placings from a 15-race career.
The daughter of Ace High recorded back-to-back wins at Matamata and Te Rapa in September, then placed in her next two before finishing fifth in the Listed Matamata Cup (1600m) on December 20.
My Lips Are Sealed has won two of her three starts on heavy ground, and she was beaten by a nose by Still Bangon in last season’s Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) on a deteriorating Soft7 track at Trentham.
“She’s one that we don’t think will have any problem with the conditions,” Walker said. “She gets through wet ground well and was beaten by a lip in the Eulogy on a very testing Trentham track last season.
“I thought she was just okay in the Matamata Cup last start, but the track was quite firm by that point of the day and she does prefer having a bit of cut out of the ground.”
Talisker was runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) last season and has shown promising signs with strong placings in both of his first two starts this season.
“He’s come back in good form this time in, which has been really good to see, but he’s one that might be a bit of a doubtful starter with the weather forecast the way it is,” Walker said.
