Group One winner La Dorada will make her New Zealand return at Te Rapa this weekend following a frustrating spring in Melbourne.
The daughter of Super Seth was a standout juvenile last term for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, winning four of her five starts, including the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), and was runner-up in the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m), on her way to being crowned New Zealand Champion Two-Year-Old.
Her handlers elected to test her talent across the Tasman over spring, but she disappointed in her two starts out of Te Akau’s Cranbourne barn, finishing unplaced in the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) and Gr.3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m).
“Her first-up run was against the older horses, and it was a pretty tough field, but second-up it was a set weights three-year-old fillies race and she disappointed in that, so we just pulled the plug,” Walker said.
“Some fillies don’t come up in the spring, so hopefully in the summer and autumn she regains her form.”
La Dorada returned to New Zealand and has been pleasing in her work at Matamata and was given the tick of approval following her exhibition gallop at Te Aroha on Sunday.
“We are happy with her,” Walker said. “She resumes on Saturday at Te Rapa.”
La Dorada is set to line-up in the three-year-old 1200m handicap where she will be ridden by stable apprentice Hayley Hassman.
“She will carry a bit of weight so we will claim off her with Hayley, who is going very well,” Walker said.
All going to plan over the next few weeks, Walker is hopeful of earning a spot in the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) with his filly.
“The Karaka Millions is the aim at this stage, and we will be guided by what she does on Saturday and another run before the Karaka Millions,” he said.
Walker is also excited about the prospects of her two-year-old half-brother Golden Pulse, who won on debut for the stable over 1147m at Geelong last week in the colours of his owner Yulong Investments.
“He was pretty professional,” Walker said. “He can get a bit colty but he was certainly good.”
La Dorada will be joined at Te Rapa on Saturday by several stablemates, including Group One winner Captured By Love and Group One performer Qali Al Farrasha.
Captured By Love was set to contest the Gr.1 Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham last Saturday but was scratched in favour of heading to Te Rapa seven days later.
“She was a bit off in the feed bin and we thought we would wait a week and go to Te Rapa on Saturday to either the J Swap Sprint (Gr.3, 1400m) or Cal Isuzu (Gr.2, 1600m),” Walker said.
“She was better over the weekend and seems back to her old self.”
If she heads to the latter, she will be joined by Qali Al Farrasha, who was impressive when winning the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe last start.
“Qali Al Farahsa is in the Cal Isuzu and she should run well,” Walker said. “It was a really nice win in the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
