It's Sydney in the autumn for the Kevin Gray-trained mare Daffodil after her outstanding win freshup at New Plymouth on Saturday.
The AJC Oaks and Windsor Plate winner sauntered effortlessly past a handy lot of sprinters to win the Schweppervesence Sprint.
She will start at Otaki on Sunday before heading
to Sydney for the Ranvet Stakes and the BMW in April.
Hayden Tinsley will replace Opie Bosson for Sunday's race. Tinsley was at Ellerslie on Saturday.
"I was proud of her on Saturday. It was a marvellous effort," said Gray of Daffodil, who hadn't raced since an unlucky run in the Melbourne Cup almost four months ago.
Aussie rider Hugh Bowman will ride Daffodil in her Sydney campaign.
However, Gray was not so happy with Opie Bosson's ride later in the day on the stable's star juvenile Cellarmaster in the Waikato Stud Classic.
After a sluggish start, Cellarmaster was settled three wide for most of the race, lost his balance 200m out and still got up for third behind Icepins.
"I mean, here's a horse who usually leads but was left three wide all the way, and heaven knows what happened down the home straight."
Cellarmaster, who is owned by Auckland Judge John Clapham, his breeder, will start next in the $200,000 Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie on March 13, with either Tinsley or Michael Coleman aboard.
Gray, who was at Ellerslie on Saturday with Derby hope King Raedwald, was much happier after his colt ran third to Zarzuela and Corporal Jones.
Back at New Plymouth, freegoer Bruce Almighty ran his foes ragged in the $80,000 Taranaki Cup, beating off Il Quello Veloce, who was a game second in her first staying test.
It was jockey Paul Taylor's second win in the race, his first coming on Gallions Reach. Trainer Stuart Manning will now take the much-travelled Bruce Almighty to Riverton at Easter.
- WANGANUI CHRONICLE
