Mustang Valley Ready for G1 Assignment

Media Release - Tuesday September 3

While many trainers are hoping to see the rain stay away from Hawke’s Bay this week, Andrew Forsman has the opposing view when considering whether to start Mustang Valley in Saturday’s Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m).

Mustang Valley has collected both of her Group One victories during the spring carnival at Hastings, firstly with the 2022 running of the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m), and last year’s Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m).

Group One winner Mustang Valley.  Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

Returning in her six-year-old season, the mare was a strong fifth behind Bonny Lass in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa last month, a key lead-in to the opening elite-level race of the new term.

“She’s going really well, we were happy with her run in the Foxbridge and while she didn’t get all favours, being shuffled back and losing her spot, she was game making her run up the worst part of the track,” Forsman said.

“She’ll improve for that having only had the one trial going into it.”

The daughter of Vanbrugh is more than capable on a good surface, but she is extremely effective as the track conditions deteriorate, with the alternative option an Open 1400m contest at New Plymouth, a race she won last year before taking out the Arrowfield Stud Plate.

“It is very much track dependent, we’ll look at the forecast on Wednesday morning and decide whether we accept,” he said.

“If there is any sign of rain, that would help her and possibly slow a few of the others down, but if not, we have the option of New Plymouth as a back-up the following Saturday.”

Prior to the feature meeting, Forsman will have three representatives at Matamata on Wednesday, including Wyndsong in the Pam Gerard – Ballymore Racing 1200.

A filly by Wyndspelle, Wyndsong had four starts during her juvenile campaign for two fourths, with improving track conditions likely to play in her favour.

“She’s coming along nicely, we just wanted to get away from the deeper winter tracks as she copped a couple that were just a bit too heavy for her,” Forsman said.

“We’re hopeful that the track will be on the better side of heavy come Wednesday, we’ve had a couple of very warm days so hopefully it will be improving for her, that will help her chances.”

Forsman has put in an early nomination for the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), with the mile distance likely to suit going forward.

Advertisement

“She’s shown that ability since she was a two-year-old, she’s probably just still has a bit of strengthening and maturing to do,” he said.

“She’s just starting to move her coat and will look better in a couple of weeks, if she can just get through this first run I think she’ll continue to improve as the tracks do, and she can get out over a bit further.”

Stablemates Privy Garden and Wainui Bay are both vying for their maiden victories after a string of placings in recent performances.

A four-year-old by So You Think, Privy Garden was placed in each of her three starts through the late summer and will contest the Waharoa Transport Co. (1995) Ltd 1200 off a spell.

“She’s been a bit of a frustration, we felt she was building to a win then her last start at Taupo was a little bit disappointing, so we thought we would give her a little bit more time,” Forsman said.

“She’s come back a little bit stronger, so hopefully that will make the difference.”

Wainui Bay was narrowly beaten on the Cambridge Synthetic last start and is among the key contenders chasing the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series bonus over a mile.

“The Pearl Series bonus race was the target for her, and there wasn’t a race for her at the last poly meeting, so it will be interesting,” Forsman said.

“We’re hopeful that things can work out for her off a bit of a break between runs, but it does look to be a winnable race.”

Meanwhile, across the Tasman at Forsman’s Flemington base, Group One winner Aegon has pulled up sore following an uncharacteristic performance in the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) last Saturday at Caulfield, finishing at the tail of the field. 

“He’s pulled up a little bit sore behind, nothing too major so we’re hoping that with a few quiet days and a bit of chiropractic work, we can nurse him through the week and he will improve,” Forsman said.

“If that’s the case, we’ll likely press on with his preparation, and if we don’t see significant improvement in a week’s time, we may just have to stop and bring him home.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Mustang Valley Claims a Second G1 Win
A year on from a breakthrough spring campaign that announced her arrival on the Group One stage, Mustang Valley did it again in the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Hastings on Saturday.
Crossbow Takes Aim At Flemington To Score
With quality efforts behind handy horses in his first three starts, trainer Chris Waller crossed the border to Victoria with instant success for the Star Thoroughbreds raced Crossbow, with the well-marked son of Better Than Ready breaking through for an impressive win.
The Novelist Returns to Form
The very first stakes-winner for his sire Written By when winning the Group III BRC BJ McLachlan Stakes in December 2022, The Novelist made light of the heavy 10 track at Rosehill on Saturday to claim another victory.
Unique Filly a History Maker for Godolphin and Waller
The re-distribution of the Godolphin owned Australian racehorses has been a hot topic in recent weeks as they departed the care of James Cummings to join a wide spread of different trainers and one of those was Chris Waller, whose first runner for the blue army was a winner at Rosehill on Saturday.
Sliding Doors Moment Delivers Feel Good Winner at Rosehill
Two fillies were born at Yulong in 2021 sired by Alabama Express from imported North American daughters of Street Cry, one of them is triple Group I winner Treasurethe Moment and the other is the feel good winner of the day at Rosehill on Saturday.
King of Roseau Wins G3 Aurie’s Star
Placed in the Listed VRC Poseidon Stakes at Flemington last spring as a three year-old behind Growing Empire, Capitalist gelding King of Roseau returned to the same venue on Saturday to capture the Group III VRC Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m).
Mustang Valley Retired - To Be Covered by Paddington
Multiple Group One winner Mustang Valley has joined her mother in the Windsor Park Stud broodmare band with both set to visit the Cambridge farm’s new stallion Paddington.
Winning Hat-Trick for Progressive Pierro
Richard and Will Freedman probably have more talented horses in the stable than Pierro gelding Cold Brew, but few have the consistency of this four year-old who landed a winning hat-trick at Rosehill on Saturday.
G1 Winning Mare Mustang Valley to Run at Randwick
Mustang Valley will be looking to get her campaign back on track when she heads to Randwick on Saturday.
Mustang Valley Chasing Another G1
The heavy ground that has carried Mustang Valley to two spectacular Group One victories will be nowhere to be seen at Hastings on Saturday, but trainer Andrew Forsman is confident that drier conditions will pose no problems for his stable star’s defence of her Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) crown.