KEY POINTS:
This season has already been good for Waikato trainer Mark Brosnan but next season could prove a bumper one for him.
Brosnan, 43, posted his 13th win for the season when his much-improved stayer Valley Chief took out the group two $130,000 Hawkes Bay Cup (2200m) at Hastings on Saturday.
The 13 wins place Brosnan within the top 40 on the New Zealand trainers' premiership, a good result considering he has no more than 12 horses in work at any one time.
But of greater credit to Brosnan is that his horses have earned $486,000 in stakes, which puts him into the top 15 on the premiership.
Valley Chief has been a big contributor with six wins this season but Brosnan's headline act has been top 3-year-old filly Veloce Bella.
She won five races this season of which three were at group two level, taking out the $100,000 Avondale Guineas, the $120,000 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie and the $100,000 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic at Te Rapa.
Veloce Bella and Valley Chief could well go even better next season.
Veloce Bella is to be aimed at the Hawkes Bay group one weight-for-age treble in the spring which culminates with the $2 million Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m) at Hastings on October 6.
Valley Chief is likely to be nominated for the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups and even if a trip across the trip does not eventuate he should he a leading contender for the major cup races in New Zealand.
Brosnan is unsure about a Melbourne spring campaign.
"We're not aiming that high," Brosnan said yesterday before re-evaluating the performance of Valley Chief who had equal second topweight of 57.5kg.
Brosnan said Valley Chief was due to take a break from racing and if the Colombia 5-year-old gelding had one more start this campaign it would be in the group three $110,000 Rotorua Cup (2200m) on May 12.
- NZPA
