Racing: Ellerslie Christmas carnival hopes for Devise

Devise's two runs this preparation have been encouraging for trainer Shaune Ritchie. Photo / Trish Dunell

Devise's connections are hoping for a knockout blow from their high-class mare at the Ellerslie Christmas carnival.

The daughter of Darci Brahma was runner-up behind Bonneval in last season's New Zealand Oaks and will get her chance to go one better at the top level in the Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie, a highlight of the Herald-sponsored carnival.

"She's a fantastic mare and her form is right up there with the best in New Zealand," said Shaune Ritchie, who trains her for breeders The Oaks Stud.

"We'll probably run her in a Rating 85 mile on Waikato Cup day and then the Zabeel Classic, it's a race we think she can be very competitive in."

Devise, who also placed at Group 2 and 3 level last term, was spelled after an unsuccessful tilt at the Group 1 ATC Oaks (2400m) in autumn and two runs this preparation have been encouraging.

The half-sister to the Group 1 performer Zurella resumed on a top note when defeating a Rating 85 line-up over 1400m at Ellerslie and was then third over the same trip behind highly regarded Love Affair at Pukekohe.

"In her first-up run she sat three wide all the way and then second-up over 1400m again was trainer error, she was looking for a mile," Ritchie said.

Meanwhile, he has welcomed an old favourite back into the stable with Sultan Of Swing returning from his brother Craig's Warwick Farm yard.

The Bachelor Duke 5-year-old won three times for Ritchie before he crossed the Tasman, where he was a minor placegetter in all three starts.

"He's back from Sydney and we're starting to pick up the pace with him," Ritchie said. "He'll trial pre-Christmas and then we'll give him a run, he could be ideal in some nice mile races off the minimum."

But one female galloping star not coming to Ellerslie for the carnival is Dijon Bleu. She is back in work with Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta after her gallant effort to finish runner-up behind Hasahalo in the New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.

Dijon Bleu's Guineas run followed victories in the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1400m) and at listed level in the Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and the O'Leary's Fillies' Classic (1200m).

"She'll go to the Eulogy Stakes at Awapuni and then the Desert Gold Stakes," Latta said.

Dijon Bleu also holds a nomination for the Group 1 Grant Plumbing Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham on January 13.

Meanwhile, stablemate Five To Midnight will follow a similar campaign to last season which culminated in a fifth placing in the Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m), the Ellerslie feature in March again his target.

He bounced back from an unplaced run in the Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) to finish fourth in the listed Feilding Gold Cup (2100m) and last time out was runner-up in the Group 3 Counties Cup (2100m).

- NZ Racing Desk