New Zealand mares aim for glory at Flemington and Rosehill races

Girl power looks set to be the focus of New Zealand’s major gatherings today.

At Flemington, perhaps our best Orchestra mare is having her spring Grand Final in the A$1 million Empire Rose, named after another great New Zealand mare, and she looks set to win if she has enough pace to allow swoopers to participate in the race.

This spring has taken her longer than she had hoped, but her co-trainer Roger James says she is now on top of her game, so as long as the race is slow and rushed, she can return to Trans-Tasman prominence.

The New Zealand maiden who faces an even tougher challenge is filly Bellatrix Star in the A$2 million Coolmore Stud Stakes, a 1200m sprint down the Flemington Straight that pays millions of dollars for the future colt if they win it.

In that regard, Bellatrix Star could be a party buster for some of Australia’s wealthiest owners if she manages to beat superstar colts such as Growing Empire and Traffic Warden, and although she has advanced to the next level in each of her last three starts, Today’s Group 1 is world class sprint stuff.

Also world class, as you’d expect from an A$10 million stake, is Golden Eagle at Rosehill in Sydney, with New Zealand mare Jolistar among the favorites.

She ran too late at her last Everest start, so today’s 1500m pace suits her, but she will need to get more comfortable from barrier 11 in the huge field.

She will also face the unknown challenges of Japanese mare Ascoli Piceno and unbeaten French gelding Lazzat in a confusing but exciting clash of racing jurisdictions.

Closer to home, one of New Zealand’s top mares La Creek continues the theme of girl power as she returns to the 1300m open race in Tauranga, but has to carry 60.5kg even after Ngakau trainee Hayley claims 3kg.

“It’s a big weight and she hasn’t been tested this campaign so we’re not too confident,” says co-trainer Simon Alexander.

“She’s really pretty and does a great job, but she can’t be at her best.

“And after Te Rapa was canceled on Monday, this field was stronger and bigger than we expected.”

Favorite for this sprint is Navigator, who is looking to give superstar jockey Michael McNab a winning return to racing.

McNab has been out for most of the last five months after falling at Te Rapa just when he was likely to become a premiership jockey’s tripeater.

He is still undergoing physiotherapy for his back injury but is excited to be riding again and is looking forward to New Zealand Cup week, which starts next Saturday.

“I’m really excited to be back and I think Navigator is my best shot,” McNab says.

Racing today

** Tauranga, first race at 12:12.

** Trentham, first race at 12:26.

** Rosehill Golden Eagle Day, first race 2:10 pm (NZ time)

** Flemington, Derby Day, first race at 14:20 (NZ time)

Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published articles on horse racing while still at school, and began writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald in 1990, when he was 20 years old. In 1995, he became editor of the Herald’s Racing and covers the world’s biggest horse. racing carnivals.