Former Paddock Mates Prepare for G1 Showdown

Media Release - Friday November 16

Leading Group I Gavelhouse New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) contenders Xpression and Melt once shared a paddock at Haunui Farm, but there will be no love lost between the star three-year-old fillies when they contest the Riccarton feature on Saturday.

XpressionThey currently head the market for the 1000 Guineas with TAB bookmakers, with Xpression sitting as a warm $2.30 favourite and Melt earmarked as the next best chance at $3.

While Haunui Farm principal Mark Chitty will be barracking for both fillies down the straight on Saturday, he will be cheering even louder for Xpression as she carries home the Haunui Farm colours.

Chitty co-bred and co-owns the daughter of Showcasing and said it has been a huge thrill to watch her perform so well on the track.

From five starts, the Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen-trained filly has won three races, including two at Group level. She also placed in her other two starts, including a brave runner-up performance behind Avantage in the Gr.3 Hawke's Bay Breeders' Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings last month.

"She has done everything that could be expected of her this time in," Chitty said. "She's been in the South Island since the Barneswood at Ashburton and by all accounts she has trained on nicely since that win."

Xpression has trialled at Motukarara since her victory in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m), winning comfortably under premiership-winning jockey Samantha Collett.

"She's come through that trial really well, Sam Collett went down and rode her that day and they all seem pretty happy with where she is at," Chitty said.

While confident of his filly's chances, Chitty is mindful of the strong form around some of her competitors.

Advertisement

"Melt's form through Madison County (winner of the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas(1600m)) is probably the strongest form in the field and there's Media Sensation, the Peter and Dawn Williams stable is on fire," Chitty said.

"There are other fillies in the race, but I think Melt and Media Sensation have probably got the form around them to suggest they will be the hardest to beat."

Chitty will head down to Riccarton on Saturday and will be joined by her other part-owners, some of which are experiencing their first foray into racehorse ownership.

"It's a Group One race, so it's the ultimate," Chitty said. "I am going to get out of the crush and head down for race day on Saturday, I'm looking forward to it," he said.

"The boys from the Hawke's Bay will be there with bells on. A couple of them are new to racing, so they are pretty spoilt to be getting a run in a Group One with their first horse."

Haunui Farm will also be well-represented in the race by their stallions. Melt will be carrying the flag for her sire Iffraaj and former shuttle stallion Showcasing will be represented by both Xpression and stakes-placed filly Wekaforce.

"Both Melt and Xpression were bred on the farm, they were paddock mates at one stage," Chitty said.

"Wekaforce is there as well. She's a Showcasing that is owned by a syndicate put together by Janine and Les Wallace who were shareholders in Showcasing, so it's great to see a filly of her quality in the field as well." – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Thursday June 5
Here is the full list of 36 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Inglis Ready 2 Race Entries Open
Entries for the Inglis Ready2Race Sale – Australasia’s most progressive 2YO Sale – are now open.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday June 4
Here is the full list of 48 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
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.
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.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday June 3
Here is the full list of 30 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Friday June 6
Here is the full list of 31 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
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.
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.
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.