KEY POINTS:
Manawatu trainer Kevin Gray believes Porotene Gem can improve and be hard to beat in today's $150,000 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes.
Porotene Gem goes into the group one race for fillies and mares at Te Aroha having finished fourth in a 1400m race for 3-year-olds at Awapuni on March 31 at her last start.
It appeared a slightly disappointing effort but Gray said he was more disappointed with the ride of Mark Du Plessis.
"I thought it was a huge effort," Gray said. "She only had two behind her 700m from home and with 59kg on her back she went right round the field and then had to chase them."
Gray said he thought Du Plessis would have tried for an inside run considering the horse's weight.
"It is, after all, the quickest way home," he said.
Porotene Gem drops to 54kg under the weight-for-age conditions of today's race and should be aided by the step up in distance to 1600m.
Porotene Gem won the group one $200,000 Levin Classic for 3-year-olds at Otaki last November over the same distance when beating Jokers Wild.
Her fourth at Awapuni was just her second start since the Levin Classic.
She had resumed on a encouraging note when second with 59kg to the Mark Walker-trained Redbreb in a race for 3-year-olds over 1200m at Trentham on March 17.
Gray said he was pleased at the way Porotene Gem had progressed since her last start.
"She's done well and she looks well. She worked up beautifully this morning and I'm very happy with her."
Gray said he would have offered the mount again to Du Plessis for today but the jockey had elected to ride in Sydney this weekend.
David Walsh will take the ride on Porotene Gem instead.
- NZPA
