La Crique Chasing Another G1

Media Release - Wednesday December 4

La Crique hasn’t returned to Trentham since she won the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) as a three-year-old, and three years down the track, the star mare will line up as a leading hope in Saturday’s Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m).

Multiple Group One winner La Crique will contest Saturday's Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham.   Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

The Desert Gold was La Crique’s first taste of stakes success and she has scarcely raced out of that company since, winning the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m), Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m), Gr.1 Otaki-WFA Classic (1600m), and most recently, the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) a fortnight ago.

The daughter of Vadamos was fittingly favourite for the feature and after settling back, she had plenty of hurdles to overcome in the running. But, her class prevailed in the finish with a booming run to catch Lux Libertas at the post, a performance more than pleasing for co-trainer Katrina Alexander.

“I thought it was a great run from her, just on the sectionals and the way the race was run,” she said.

“It was a fairly slow tempo early and I thought there would’ve been more genuine speed, so the fact there was no speed, she slotted back and a bit wide and looked no hope about 100m out, to finish the way she did and win was a huge effort.

“This is a shorter turnaround than what we like to do with her, we’re most comfortable giving her three weeks’ between runs which means I don’t have to do a hell of a lot with her in that first week post-race.

“I still haven’t had to do a lot with her, she’s trained on really well and she had a nice hit-out yesterday (Tuesday). Other than that, she gets a huge amount of improvement through each run she has, so the need to be too busy with her between runs isn’t there.

“It’s just a matter of keeping her well and happy, and she certainly lets us know when she is. I’m really happy with her.”

A run of poor barrier draws will continue for La Crique on Saturday, after drawing 12 of 12 in the Auckland Breeders, she has drawn 13 of 13 in the TAB Mufhasa.

“I think she’s become the type of horse that likes to be a bit patient early, after having always appeared to be a handy-running horse,” Alexander said.

Advertisement

“We seem to always get the wide draws at the moment with her, but I don’t think it will have too much influence on what we do. We had talked about the possibility of sitting a bit closer so she didn’t have so much work to do, but the big long straight at Trentham allows you to get organised.

“We’ll have a chat with Michael (McNab, jockey) around the speed map and what we might do on race-day, but I’m not too worried. She’s performed at Trentham before and I think it will suit her.”

Despite the draw, La Crique is likely to start a short-priced favourite just as she did three years ago at the same venue, a reflection of her longevity as one of the country’s elite weight-for-age gallopers.

“I’m actually really proud that she’s still competing at this level,” said Alexander, who trains the six-year-old alongside her husband Simon.

“We said right back when she was a three-year-old that we would train her for longevity. Looking at her physically back then, we knew she was going to take time and she wasn’t going to furnish until she was an older mare.

“She’s done it all on natural ability back then, and we’ve had some niggles along the way since, but that’s mainly been down to feet, not body as such. Last season was a classic example of that, we probably never had her at 100 percent, but she just had enough class and ability to continue.

“You look through the races that she’s run in, it’s very rare that she has been out of black-type company, other than the very early days.

“We’ve trained her to be in the picture for a while and every preparation, she’s put her hand up and performed. A lot of horses can go missing for a season after a big three-year-old year, but she’s fronted up every time.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Queensland Possible for La Crique
Dual Group One winner La Crique has certainly been a test of patience for trainers Simon and Katrina Alexander, with the couple faced with their sternest test with the mare in the last couple of weeks.
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.
Kiwi Bred Keeps Winners Coming for Payne Stable
The Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained Bold Soul has been a consistent performer right through the winter months and notched another win at Flemington when prevailing in the VRC Membership Renewals Open (2530m) on Saturday.
Dual Group Winner Too Darn Good At Flemington
A dual group winner during the Spring of her 3yo season, talented mare Too Darn Discreet showed an electric turn of foot, charging home over the top of them to win the Melbourne Cup Carnival On Sale (1620m) at Flemington 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.
La Crique on Track for Next G1
Dual Group One winner La Crique continued her consistent run of form when finishing runner-up to El Vencedor in Saturday’s Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa, and she will now be set for another elite-level 2000m test.
La Crique Chasing Boxing Day G1
Dual Group One winner La Crique will bid to add another elite level scalp to her record when she heads to Ellerslie on Boxing Day to tackle the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m).
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.
Bountiful and Many Men to be Offered at Tattersalls Online Southern Hemisphere Pop-Up Sale
The high-class pair BOUNTIFUL (Zoustar) and MANY MEN (Study of Man) have been catalogued for the Tattersalls Online Southern Hemisphere Pop-Up Sale to be held in collaboration with Inglis Digital Australia on Wednesday 6th August to Thursday 7th August. Full details of the sale which will take place on the Tattersalls Online website are now available to view at www.tattersallsonline.com.
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.