Illness is likely to sideline Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall’s top quality mare Snazzytavi until later in the year.
Cambridge Stud’s star performer was being prepared for a crack at Saturday’s Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa before the five-year-old daughter of Tavistock contracted a virus.
“I’d say that her autumn is over, which means we’ll give her a good break and focus on the spring,” Cambridge Stud chief executive Henry Plumptre said.
“She had a gallop on Tuesday morning and Warren Kennedy went down to ride her.
“He was very happy with her, but within hours it was noticed that her demeanour was different and they took her temperature and she had a very aggressive virus.
“We sent her up to Matamata Hospital as a precaution and she’s under treatment for the virus and is responding very well and is stabilised.
“She’s in very good hands and, fingers crossed, she’ll be back at our Karaka farm early next week to spell.”
By Tavistock, Snazzytavi would have started a short-priced favourite in the Herbie Dyke off the back of her stellar run of form.
She romped to victory in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) in the spring before a break and then successfully resumed in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) and last time out claimed the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m).
In her absence, the stud’s black type hopes at Te Rapa will rest with the Lance Noble-trained Luberon who takes on a stacked line-up in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m).
“We’ve always had a very big opinion of her, but she is in a very strong race and I think it’s one of the highest rated sprint races in New Zealand for a long time,” Plumptre said.
The well-performed daughter of Embellish is a multiple stakes winner and a bold last-start third in the Gr.1 Telegraph after racing wide without cover from an outside stall and will again jump from a potentially awkward gate.
“Luberon doesn’t seem capable of drawing inside barrier nine or 10, but she is a very game and genuine mare,” Plumptre said.
“She will be competitive, and she’s got her regular jockey (Warren Kennedy) back on because Crocetti isn’t running and it will be exciting to see how she goes.”
Kennedy will also carry the farm’s colours aboard the Stephen Marsh-prepared I’m All In who runs in the Dr John Southworth Memorial Vase (1200m).
“He’s been there or thereabouts, he probably wasn’t quite up to the level in the Almanzor Trophy (Gr.3, 1200m) but he looks well-placed on Saturday and he’s tough,” Plumptre said.
The son of Zoustar, whose half-brother by Sword Of State sold for $540,000 at Karaka, has won twice from a handful of starts and placed in the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) during the winter. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
