Horse racing: Andrew Forsman eyes second transtasman double at Pukekohe

Moonlight Magic.

Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman may be robbed of his shot at a second unusual training double for the week tomorrow.

Forsman had a career first, and almost certainly last, when he trained winners at Taupō and Ipswich in Queensland just hours apart on Wednesday.

There was nothing unusual about him training Belardi to win the juvenile race at Taupō, but he was more or less forced to start First Innings in his A$75,000 3-year-old race at Ipswich as a last-ditch attempt to get him enough stake money for a start in next week’s Queensland Derby.

It worked as First Innings swept home from last to win at $25 and should now make the Derby field.

Forsman technically has a chance at a second transtasman double in three days at Pukekohe and Doomben tomorrow but fears he won’t get the chance in the second leg.

Moonlight Magic, a half-sister to Belardi, is the fourth ballot in the Doomben Roses and Forsman doubts she will get back into the field to take on fellow Kiwi filly Molly Bloom.

“It is a weird one because it looks like she won’t get a start here, but she is guaranteed a start in the Derby next week because the Trelawney Championship she won last start was an automatic qualifier,” explains Forsman.

“So more than likely she will miss out this Saturday and have to head straight to the Derby.”

That will likely give Forsman a two-pronged Derby attack but even if Moonlight Magic doesn’t get into the Roses tomorrow, the Cambridge trainers can continue a strong recent run of results at Pukekohe.

He has both favourites in Race 2 but says Koheroa may pull out if the track remains heavy, with that decision to be made on Friday afternoon.

That would see Mary Shan, already the $1.95 favourite, move well into odds-on and while it is never easy to predict how a filly will handle a Heavy 10 track, Mary Shan looks to have a class edge on her rivals.

“It looks an ideal race for her if she handles the track and she will have the blinkers on tomorrow so she has to be hard to beat,” says Forsman.

Forsman believes Devastate (R7, No 5) can also be hard to beat in tomorrow’s open 1500m as he won the Group 3 Wellington Stakes on a heavy track.

“He is well, has a good draw and a top jockey so gets his chance.”

The obvious danger looks to be Chattahoochee, who beat Devastate home when second in the Manco Easter last start and comes in better at the weights tomorrow with Ngakau Hailey claiming 3kgs.

The two on-pacers could make it hard for those coming from back in the field.

Forsman has Russian Satire and the resuming Amazing Grace in Race 8 and says while Russian Satire was a big winner on a heavy track last year, she struggled on a Soft 7 at Te Rapa last start.

“That can be the issue at this time of year, what type of heavy you get and how your horse handles it.

“If she handles it, she has to be a chance while Amazing Grace has trialled well but she has been off the scene for a long time.”