American Pharoah Filly Wins for Forsman

Media Release - Wednesday July 26

Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman celebrated a comfortable maiden victory at Cambridge on Wednesday with Medina in the Martin Collins New Zealand MAAT 1550.

The striking filly dictated as pacemaker throughout under Michael McNab, and pulled away at the top of the straight to score stylishly by 2-3/4 lengths over last-start winning duo Nystrom and Chattahoochee.

Medina winning at Cambridge on Wednesday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

“I thought she was much improved, she’s always been a filly that’s shown a lot of ability but hadn’t quite put it together on race day,” Forsman said.

“The best thing about today was seeing her win so dominantly after being given a very good ride.”

Forsman said the American Pharoah three-year-old may be ready for a spell, however, due to her liking for the synthetic surface he may aim her for the Rating 75 1550m event at Cambridge on August 16th.

The Cambridge trainer will now turn his attention to three runners representing the stable at Te Rapa on Saturday, with Turn The Ace, Russian Satire, and last-start winner Leedox.

Five-win gelding Turn The Ace was too tough two starts back when winning at Te Rapa in heavy conditions and will likely meet similar ground at a much lighter weight when contesting the Bob & Colleen Donaldson Memorial Open Handicap (1400m).

“He was a little bit disappointing at Tauranga, but we put it down to the holding nature of the track, he didn’t quite get through it and it has tripped him up at times,” Forsman said.

“We’re hopeful that back at Te Rapa, a track he seems to go really well on, he can bounce back to his best form,” Forsman said.

Advertisement

The son of in-form stallion Turn Me Loose will be partnered with top hoop Michael McNab, who also combines with the stakes-winning gelding Leedox in the Property Brokers Taumarunui 3YO (1400m).

Forsman indicated that the heavy conditions may challenge the son of Time Test, who produced a tough victory at Ruakaka last start to add to his Listed Auckland Futurity Stakes (1400m) win last autumn.

“The better the track the better off he’ll be, so we’re hoping for fine weather and the track to get to the better side of Slow for him to be at his best,” he said.

Russian Satire is nominated for multiple events but Forsman is leaning toward starting the three-year-old filly within her Rating 65 grade, under McNab in the Woods Contracting 1300.

“The 3YO race has come up a little bit tough but we’ll work that out closer to the time (where she starts),” Forsman said.

“She’s in really good form, she won well on a pretty heavy track at Te Rapa and things just haven’t quite gone right for her since.”

“With any sort of luck she should be competitive in either race she contests.” - LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
2YO Stakes Racing – Sale Mail
Three stakes races for new season juveniles add plenty of interest to a stellar day of racing this Saturday in Sydney and Melbourne, so let’s take a look at the Sale Mail for these races.
Miraval Rose Impresses With G2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes Win
Already a Listed winner at 3 and 4, Grahame Begg’s Grunt mare Miraval Rose added her third black type victory to her record, winning the $300,000 Group 2 VRC Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m) in style at Flemington on Saturday.
Sires With Winners - Friday October 3
Here is the full list of 61 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Too Darn Hot’s Shiki Wins G3 Gimcrack Stakes
Winning her heat in good time at the official 2yo trials saw the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Too Darn Hot filly Shiki jump away the race favourite in Saturday’s $250,000 Group 3 Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes (1000m), a race she duly won with a fighting performance.
So You Think Filly Wins G2 Edward Manifold
Danny O’Brien believes he has the Group I VRC Oaks in his sights with So You Think filly Getta Good Feeling breaking her maiden in the best way possible with a last stride win in the Group II VRC Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Warwick Farm
We had three heats for 2YO’s run at Warwick Farm on Friday morning over 815m with winners by Farnan, Ole Kirk and Kia Ora Stud’s first season sire Captivant, while Stay Inside had an impressive trial winner at Murray Bridge.
Apocalyptic Crowned Darley Princess with G1 Flight Victory
Extreme Choice filly Apocalyptic has been the dominant force in the Darley Princess Series this year and she claimed the jewel in the crown at Randwick on Saturday with a commanding win in the $750,000 Group I ATC Flight Stakes (1600m).
Four Winners for Dennis
Local trainer Robert Dennis won half of the eight-race card at Ascot Park on Friday, culminating with a special win by Sir Sterling in the Vale Tony Dennis (1400m).
Derby Options Alive For Godolphin’s Colt
Tony and Calvin McEvoy look to have a smart 3yo on their hands as Impending colt Options wins the Listed VRC Super Impose Stakes (1800m) at Flemington and could now be aimed towards the $2m Group 1 VRC Derby (2500m) on November 1.
Lonhro Blueblood Colt Wins Listed Dulcify
At the start of August we ran a story about the 3YO’s that were entered for this year Cox Plate and aside from the usual suspects there were some ‘Cox Plate’ dreamers and one of them was unraced Lonhro colt Attica, who scored his first stakes win at Randwick on Saturday when taking out the Listed ATC Dulcify Stakes (1600m).