By Mike Dillon
Stephen Autridge has never been one to get carried away.
He knows why he's won the Matamata Breeders Stakes two out of the last three years.
"I've won it both times with maidens, Maxamore and Bayremah, simply because they were dead right on the day and the top ones in the field probably weren't," he said.
On Saturday week Autridge goes into the $85,000 BNZ Breeders Stakes on the other end of the scale, but ironically a bit more nervous.
He has the best filly, Catamarca, but he has to ensure she will be at the top of her form after a gut-buster to take Saturday's $100,000 Mercedes Fillies Classique at Te Rapa.
He knows what can happen if she's not.
Catamarca made it look easy winning by two and a half lengths, but having to do it hard both ends after drawing the outside barrier means she would be a freak not to have at least the edge taken off her temporarily.
"She left all but a double handful of feed on Saturday night, which is a terrific sign," said a relieved Autridge. "It's not everything, but it means something.
"I'll trot and canter her in a couple of days and if she feels fine, I'll be rapt.
"The good thing is she doesn't need to work hard to be fit. I won't have to do much with her between now and Saturday week."
Autridge admits he was a bit nervous before Saturday's race after his newspaper comments that he wasn't worried about Catamarca's ability to clear the opposition and get to the rail from the No14 barrier.
"I wasn't worried about that and I knew she wouldn't overrace once she got there. If I was worried about anything it was that she hadn't raced past 880m.
"She's tough though."
Autridge gave himself a realistic chance of being in the winner's enclosure for next year's Fillies Classique with two purchases at Saturday night's Select Fillies sale, a Housebuster-Royal Recluse for $28,000 and a Danasinga-Echostatic for $20,000.
Foxwood in the clear
It's been a long battle back for Foxwood since beating Tycoon Lil in the 2000 Guineas 15 months ago, but Roger James thinks he's just about there.
James couldn't stop grinning after Foxwood ran 1000m with Melora in 1:3, the 600 in 36.2 between races at Te Rapa on Saturday.
The Matamata trainer was delighted with Melora because she carried a significantly heavier weight and with Foxwood because she is a thick-winded mare.
"It was great work because it was the first time either had galloped in company this preparation."
The TAB odds-setters will be pleased with themselves. The TAB began early betting on Thursday for the $80,000 El Cheapo Auto Auctions on February 28 and already had Foxwood $3.75 favourite ahead of dashing Auckland Cup carnival winner Tall Poppy ($4).
Like Tall Poppy, Foxwood is being aimed at the $A1 million Doncaster Handicap with the Coolmore Classic on the way through.
James rates Melora lengths better than during her impressive 3-year-old campaign of last season, which might just see her take away the Sydney Cup.
Taking it casually
This weekend will be crunch time for whether sidelined Derby winner So Casual gets to the Sydney autumn carnival.
Trainer Ross Taylor will step up the tempo of So Casual's light workload from today towards a story-telling three-quarter pace workout on Saturday morning.
So Casual has been taking it easy since injuring the dock at the top of his tail on the eve of his departure for Melbourne's Triple Crown.
"He'll be paceworking for the first time this week and if he comes through that and he's sound after Saturday's workout, I'd be confident of him getting to Sydney."
Dignity Dancer and Mossman, two of the 3-year-olds So Casual would probably meet in Sydney, had hard races dividing up the spoils in Saturday's first leg of the Triple Crown, the $A400,000 Alister Clarke Stakes and have a further two tough assignments before heading to Sydney.
Horse Racing: Catamarca needs to be `dead right'
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