Racing: Stable has high hopes for Stakes winner

Peter Hurdle announced some lofty targets for Viennetta, runaway winner of Saturday's $75,000 NRM Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes.

"I want to target the Thorndon Mile at Trentham in January then the Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha," he said.

"And next year I'd like to take on some fillies and mares races during the Melbourne spring carnival."

The Hurdle stable has had Viennetta for only a short time and he attributes his rating of the well-bred mare to wife Nikki.

"Just before she won at Tauherenikau, Nikki rode her and said: 'This thing is pretty good'. And she was right."

Viennetta was one of Grant Cooksley's four winning rides. He shot the mare clear at the top of the home straight and the opposition was never in the race after that.

Vinny Colgan said the well-fancied Rosetti Bay never fired.

"Poor effort. They fanned out in front of me in the straight, but she couldn't improve.

"Horses from behind me were passing me.

"I don't know what went wrong."