La Crique Trial Positive

Media Release - Wednesday May 1

Dual Group One winner La Crique looked to be near her brilliant best at the Te Awamutu trials on Tuesday, with a trip to Queensland on the cards.

A long-standing foot issue, alongside unfavourable track conditions, has plagued another season for the talented mare with just four starts under her belt, however she still managed to add a second career Group One in the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) in late February.

La Crique winning the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) in February.   Photo: Race Images

La Crique’s trainers Katrina and Simon Alexander were dealt with another blow when being forced to late-scratch her as hot-favourite for the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) in March, but the couple remained positive with hopes of heading to the Queensland Winter Carnival with their stable star.

The daughter of Vadamos took a positive step in that direction when effortlessly striding into second in her 1150m heat behind Dusty Road, after settling worse than midfield under Matthew Cameron.

“She’s really thriving, with a bit of age on her we have to be cautious that she doesn’t get away on us fitness-wise which is why we chose to give her a trial,” Katrina Alexander said.

“We were stuck between trying to keep her fresh with the goal of going to Rotorua and needing a bit of a hit-out in company, so I didn’t want her going out there and doing too much.

“Matt didn’t ask a lot of her, she had drawn quite wide so even though she jumped away well, she would’ve been parked out so he’s just eased her and she’s relaxed and come home strong. We were very pleased.

“He said she felt super and he couldn’t fault her, so that was what we wanted to achieve.”

Alexander indicated the mare’s final domestic appearance for the season would likely be in the Gr.3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park next Saturday (May 11), provided the track is to suit.

“That’s all there is left for her really in New Zealand, keeping in mind that we don’t want to be getting into the depths of winter on our tracks,” she said.

Advertisement

“She’ll only run there if the track is reasonable, which is a little bit of a gamble at this time of the year, so hopefully we get a good May weatherwise. All going well, coming through there, we will look at Brisbane options for her.”

Alexander has earmarked a weight-for-age fillies and mares’ mile on June 8 at Eagle Farm as a potential kick-off point, with further options available through the remainder of the carnival.

“That seems like a logical kicking off point, and hopefully from there we can string a few races together at that time of the year,” she said.

“We know what we’re dealing with now, and when this horse is right, she is just super and as we know her to be. When she’s not, she lets us know so we just have to do what she allows us too.”

As the mare nears the end of her five-year-old season in a career spanning just 18 starts, albeit many of these in top company, Alexander is mindful of the time La Crique has left on the track.

“She’s got another birthday coming up shortly, so how much time we have left with her is always in the back of our minds,” she said.

“I know she’s got another prep in her and it would be nice to get some Australian black-type if possible, and because she’s had such a patchy season she really hasn’t had a lot of racing under her belt.

“Hopefully we can get her over there for her owners who have been very patient, the horse deserves to be rewarded with something nice in Australia to add to her pedigree page for whenever the broodmare paddock comes for her.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Pedigree Potential –NZB Ready to Run – Nicks that Click
A quality packed catalogue for the 2025 NZB Ready to Run Sale is now online and in the lead up to the sale we’ll go looking each week for some horses of interest that jump out on pedigree for various reasons.
Sires With Winners - Sunday September 28
Here is the full list of 73 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Kiwi Stayer Chasing Melbourne Cup Golden Ticket
Wolfgang, who races as Mister Wolfgang in Australia, will get his first opportunity to earn a golden ticket into the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) when he heads to Flemington on Saturday.
Satono’s Stunning Stats Continue as Rich Hill Sires Shine
Rich Hill Stud’s Group 1 stallion roster was the dominant force at Te Rapa’s premier meeting with their progeny claiming a feature race double.
Tara Talks Racing - Insights from a Legend - Darren Beadman
Beiwacht upstaged his more fancied rivals to win the $1million Group I ATC Golden Rose last Saturday in course record breaking style to become the hottest colt in Australia giving us the opportunity to chat to a legend that has been very much involved in his story so far.
New Stakes-Winner for Star Aussie Mare Sea Siren
Aussie bred Fastnet Rock mare Sea Siren has certainly made her mark both on the racetrack where she was a triple Group I winner and at stud with her produce record is headed by triple Group I winner Warm Heart and over the weekend she produced another stakes-winner and he won the richest race in Poland.
Jenni The Pride of Trelawney
Comeback mare Pride Of Jenni has given Trelawney Stud a number of reasons to look forward to the spring after a dashing victory in the Gr.2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) on Friday night.
Golden Rose Brings Second Season Shake Up
We are two months into a new racing season and the second season sires table was given a good shake up over the weekend with the $1million Group I Golden Rose and $300,000 Group II Stutt Stakes both producing a quinella for sires in this cohort.
Pedigree Watch – G1 European 2YO
Juveniles took centre stage overnight in the UK and Ireland with a pair of Group I races decided at Newmarket in the Middle Park Stakes (6f) for the colts and Cheveley Park Stakes (6f) for the fillies, while at The Curragh a field of 30 lined up in the Goffs Million, the richest 2YO race in Europe.
She's Unusual Keeps Good Times Rolling
Continued success with resident stallion Unusual Suspect and their racing team has kept Nigel and Adaire Auret busier than they may have envisaged, but without any complaints.