Two members of the current All Blacks rugby squad are hoping they will have cause for a double celebration this weekend.
Damian McKenzie and Jordie Barrett will be cheering on their promising mare My Chablis(NZ) (Burgundy) at Friday’s Awapuni meeting ahead of their clash with Argentina in Wellington on Saturday evening.
The duo shares in the ownership of the Stephen Marsh-trained daughter of Burgundy who has made an encouraging start to her career with two wins and a placing from four appearances.
My Chablis will run in the $100,000 Martin Collins Polytrack Innovation Race (1400m), in which she will be opposed by stablemate Hasstobefast.
“Both of them are in very good order, they’ve done a treat and it’s nice to have a crack at a $100,000 race,” Marsh said.
Bred by Mapua Bloodstock, My Chablis also has a pedigree to back her claims as she’s a half-sister to the dual stakes winner, multiple Group One performer and sire Ferrando.
“She was bought privately out of the paddock at Archer Park, Dylan Johnson sourced her,” Marsh said.
“He’s a bloodstock agent who works with us and he found her and liked her breeding, so we bought her.
“We’d had a little bit to do with Damian and he was keen to take a little bite of the horse, so we got him and Jordie in.
“We formed a syndicate with Martin Bradley, Dave Kneebone and Kevin O’Brien, who raced El Roca, and a few new owners.”
My Chablis was unplaced on debut and returned from a spell with consecutive wins on the polytrack at Cambridge before a runner-up finish.
Courtney Barnes will continue her association with the mare on Friday while Masa Hashizume will be aboard Hasstobefast who was runner-up on the all-weather track at her home track last time out.
“They are quite hard to split and it will likely come down to who gets the best run in the race,” Marsh said.
Meanwhile, two talented stakes-winning members of the team trialled well at Te Rapa on Tuesday ahead of their spring campaigns.
Last season’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) and Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) winner Velocious claimed her 900m heat while Super Photon, successful in both starts including the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Stakes (1200m), placed in his heat.
“They both went extremely well and will go to Taupo on August 21,” Marsh said.
“Velocious will head to the Gold Trail Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m) and possibly Melbourne after that, we’ll just see how she goes,” Marsh said.
“Super Photon will head toward the Hawke’s Bay Guineas (Gr.2, 1400m) and then on to Riccarton for the Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m).”
Older stablemate El Vencedor ended his last campaign with victory in the Gr.1 New Zealand Stakes (2000m) and holds a nomination for next month’s Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m).
“He will have his first trial next week, we’re not desperate to get down there (to Hastings), but if it falls into place he’ll be there,” Marsh said.
“He’ll have a run somewhere first and we’ll see what happens after that, nothing is fixed in place for him yet.”
