KEY POINTS:
Saturday's $200,000 Easter Handicap will probably be Pasta Post's last run for the season, says trainer Graeme Sanders.
Pasta Post has not raced since being unplaced in the $350,000 Wellington Cup at Trentham on January 26, but Sanders said he was not looking beyond the 1600m feature at Ellerslie.
"He'll probably go out after this and then we'll concentrate on spring racing here and then go to Melbourne," Sanders said yesterday.
A New Zealand spring campaign would include the three Hawkes Bay group one races at Hastings, which culminate with the country's richest race, the $2 million weight-for-age Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m).
Pasta Post went into the Wellington Cup a $3.20 favourite with the highly promising record of seven wins from eight starts but Sanders said he believed the gelding did not see out the 3200m distance.
But he was not willing to discount trying Pasta Post over the supreme distance in the future when the 4-year-old was more mature.
"I don't think he got the trip at Trentham," Sanders said. "But another year on him, sometimes that can make a difference."
Sanders said the Wellington Cup proved to be a tough race in which to make his 3200m debut as riders went wide on an over-watered track.
"It was a pretty testing race. They were racing right off the fence, which made the race a lot further."
Sanders said he had the Easter Handicap in mind for Pasta Post since his Trentham failure.
"I expect him to run a really good race," he said. "He's been set for this since the Wellington Cup. He wouldn't be in it if I didn't expect him to go well."
The Easter Handicap has drawn a field of 23, which includes five emergencies.
Heading the field is Sir Slick with 60.5kg but a wide barrier draw (17) has not helped his chances.
- NZPA
