Racing: Aussie seeks more NZ gold

A Gold Trail holds off Atapi in last season's Railway Handicap. He may return to Ellerslie on New Year's Day. Photo / Christine Cornege

Global traveller Gold Trail, who races in New Zealand as A Gold Trail, has recovered from an injury suffered in England and will be prepared for another international campaign.

The gelding has been back at Gary Portelli's Warwick Farm stable for more than a week and he is more than pleased with his condition.

"He has put on a heap of weight and is looking beautiful," Portelli said.

"I'm keen to go back to New Zealand for the Railway Stakes again on New Year's Day.

"I would be happy to do the same as we did last year and get a couple of barrier trials into him and go into the race first-up.

"After that we'd like to have another go at Singapore."

Gold Trail claimed the Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie with a typical front-running performance, before failing three weeks later on a slow track in the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham.

His Railway victory, over Te Awamutu sprinter Atapi, earned him an invitation to compete in the KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore in May, where he was run down late and finished a creditable fourth behind Green Birdie, Rocket Man and Happy Zero.

That performance sealed a trip to Royal Ascot for the King's Stand but his campaign went pear-shaped when his usual gate speed deserted him. The race was won by the recently-retired British sprinter Equiano, who is to stand.

He was later found to be injured across his hindquarters.

"You can't see any sign of it now," Portelli said. "You can feel where the muscle indentation is but there's no pain when you press down on it like there was before.

"He's happy and healthy and I think we can get him ready in time for Auckland."

In other group one plans, Evan Rayner may attack the One and Two Thousand Guineas with his star 3-year-old Rememba Howe.

The Wanganui filly, raced by a number of prison officers at Kaitoke, proved at Hastings on Saturday that her win at Wanganui earlier in the month was no fluke with a turbo-charged burst for victory in the Gold Trail Stakes.

After a sluggish getaway, Lisa Allpress got her off the rail in time to haul in Zennista 200m out and went to the line full of running. Rayner has been a huge fan of the filly since day one and now believes she is up to tackling the boys in the Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton in November.

"I'll be monitoring what the colts are up to over the next few weeks, but we are looking at both races." She may not race again before Riccarton.

It has been a big week for Rayner. His 2009 St Leger winner Valhalla is back in work and "looking tremendous". He ran third at the Wanganui trials last Tuesday and may resume on his home track on October 16, depending on the state of the going.

Valhalla split a cannonbone in a foreleg after the St Leger and hasn't raced since. He still has three screws inserted in the leg.

- AAP

- additional reporting by Glen Watson