Mustang Valley No Certainty

Media Release - Tuesday October 1

Multiple Group One-winner Mustang Valley is not a certainty to defend her Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) crown on Wednesday at Matamata.

Mustang Valley after winning last year's edition of the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m).  Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

Andrew Forsman, who trains the mare out of Cambridge, has had a difficult time managing an interrupted preparation, missing a start over 1400m at New Plymouth before Saturday’s abandonment at Hastings continued her woes.

“We’re a little bit disappointed, she’s already been down to one abandoned meeting and didn’t have a run, so we gave her a trial and thought we had her right for last Saturday,” Forsman said.

“We’ve now been asked to get her on the float, come home and be ready for Wednesday without a proper preparation. Given that her campaign has been muddily to say the least to this point, it’s going to probably just be a little bit too hard.

“If the Group One was moved to this Saturday, we would’ve been able to get a couple of decent gallops into her and prepare properly for a race at that level, but she hasn’t been given that opportunity.

“At this stage, we’re leaning towards racing her on the weekend.”

There is a sense of déjà vu for Forsman with Mustang Valley and the Arrowfield, having run second in the race two years ago when it was, as on this occasion, transferred to Matamata, but on the following Saturday.

“When we were in this situation two years ago, I felt they did the right thing by moving the race back a week, giving horses a chance to get home from Hastings and be prepared properly,” he said.

“I just don’t think she’s in that situation this year unfortunately.”

Forsman has nominated the daughter of Vanbrugh for both the Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Hawera, and the Team Wealleans 1600 at Tauranga, with a shot at next Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) more suited to the latter.

“She hasn’t had quite the right preparation to go to the Livamol (Gr.1, 2040m), unless she runs in the open mile on Saturday,” he said.

If the mare does not start on Wednesday, Forsman’s stable will still be represented by Saint Bathans in the mile feature.

Advertisement

The Maurice gelding has performed creditably in strong company since returning from Australia last year, including a narrow second in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) on New Year’s Day.

“He will probably run, just for the lack of other options when we are hoping to have him ready for a Livamol,” Forsman said.

“We feel it’s probably the right path for him, he’s had a solid 1400 and can have a good mile race on Wednesday, giving him the chance to run Saturday week at Te Rapa.”

Elsewhere on the Matamata card, Belardi will step out in the Gr.2 AHD – Animal Health Direct Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m). During his juvenile season, Belardi won the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) over subsequent stakes winner Raziah, and enters the race off a trial win a fortnight ago at Rotorua.

“He’s going great, it’s just a matter of whether he’s going to be effective on top of the ground,” Forsman said.

“We feel like he will be, but whether it’s at this level or not, that’s for him to prove.

“He’s drawn well so he should jump and put himself on the pace, which should be an advantage at Matamata with the rail back in the true position.

“He’s in good form, so he’ll get his chance to put his hand up and say that he’s a contender or not.”

The son of Belardo holds a nomination for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November, as does Richard And I, who lines up in the Betta Inspect It Premier (1300m).

“He has drawn well the second time around, it’s a very tough competitive race and a few locals have come into the mix, but it’s very much a run for him to find out where he’s at,” Forsman said.

“We will find out whether he’s a Guineas-type proposition, or whether we are better to back off him and give him a little bit more time.” LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
North Pacific 2YO Ready to Win
Byerley Park trainer Steven Cole will head to Ellerslie with a quartet of runners on Saturday, and he is particularly upbeat about the chances of Pacific Breeze in the Network Visuals 1200.
Capitalist Colt Records Back To Back Wins
Off the back of an explosive victory last time out at Hawkesbury when breaking his maiden by just shy of four lengths, Nathan Doyle’s Hidden Motive (Capitalist) justifiably jumped the short-priced favourite in the $160,000 Precise Air Handicap (1100m) at Randwick.
Third Group 1 Victory For Zoustar’s Sensational Joliestar
Cambridge Stud's outstanding Zoustar mare Joliestar was simply sensational, charging late to win the $1m BRC Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm, her third Group 1 victory.
Another Day, Another Stakes-Winner for Wootton Bassett
A homebred for Marc Chan, quality Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Green Impact closed out his juvenile season winning the Group II Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown and he bounced back into the winner’s list at the same venue overnight.
SWs in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel headline the June (Early) Online Sale
Stakes winners in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel, along with a significant number of young, well-bred racing and breeding prospects headline another intriguing catalogue for the Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale.
Hellbent's Sunrays Shines With Consecutive Stakes Wins
Saturday’s opening race at Eagle Farm, the Listed $160,000 BRC Show A Heart Stakes (1500m) saw Kelly Schweida’s talented Hellbent filly Sunrays record her second black type victory.
Wootton Bassett 2YOs on the March
Wootton Bassett’s star Northern Hemisphere two year-old Albert Einstein has been ruled out of Royal Ascot with a sprained joint that will require a few weeks off, but the red hot sire added two more talented debut winning juvenile colts at The Curragh overnight.
€1.85million Sale-Topping Frankel Filly Wins Epsom Oaks for Coolmore
The Group I Epsom Oaks (1m4f) had a raging hot favourite in undefeated Godolphin entry Desert Flower, but she came up short in her first try at the classic trip going down to finish third behind the Aidan O’Brien trained duo Minnie Hauk (Frankel and Whirl (Wootton Bassett).
Lucrative Pay Day For Adiella In Magic Millions National Classic
Coming off a last start second in the Group 3 Magic Millions Fillies & Mares Mile (1600m), the Improving 4yo The Mission mare Adiella recorded her sixth carer victory, adding the $500,000 Magic Millions National Classic to her record.
Kicked out of Australia - Jan Brueghel Wins G1 Coronation
The horse kicked out of Australia last spring as not having suitable scans to race in the Melbourne Cup, Jan Brueghel showed just what we missed out on seeing when taking out the Group I Betfred Coronation Cup (1m4f) at Epsom overnight.