Racing: Unlucky trainer looks to Trebla

Del Roberts is wary of expressing confidence about the prospects of Trebla in tomorrow's $200,000 New Zealand Cup at Riccarton.

The Tauranga trainer has high hopes for Trebla after he scored an impressive win in the $40,000 Metropolitan Trophy Handicap (2500m) at Riccarton last Saturday.

But he realises that does not necessarily translate to victory in tomorrow's group two event.

Trebla's win in the Metropolitan was Roberts' fourth in the race. His three earlier winners all went on to race without much luck in the New Zealand Cup.

El Questro, his first Metropolitan winner in 1981, finished fourth in the Cup, but nearly fell after clipping the heels of another horse during the run.

Roberts produced Size Ten to win the Metropolitan in 1996 and 1997. He ran in the New Zealand Cups both those years, but again it was more disappointment.

Size Ten finished fourth after being caught wide, in his first crack at the Cup. The second time he finished last, and was later found to have suffered a heart problem.

"I reckon I've been a bit unlucky in the cup before, but that's racing," Roberts said.

Trebla was yesterday a $3.75 favourite to win the cup on the TAB fixed-odds market.

Roberts agreed the odds were probably a fair reflection of the horse's chances but he was still crossing his fingers.

"I'm not getting carried away," he said.

"I can see there are quite a few good chances. Cut The Cake, Shenandoah - that was a very good run on the second day - and a couple of others like Juicy Fruit Mambo and Northern Beau."

Trebla, however, could hardly have been more impressive with his first-day win. He settled towards the back of the field, bounded clear in the straight to score by 2 3/4 lengths, leaving no excuses for his rivals.

Trebla, a five-year-old gelding, started racing only last season.

Roberts said the horse was maturing slowly and typical of the stock of his sire Yamanin Vital in being a late developer.

"He's still an immature stayer in a way, but has always shown staying potential," he said.

"Earlier on he was inclined to be a bit headstrong. He used to charge along but with a bit of racing he's now more settled."

Trebla drew the outside barrier of 19 acceptors.

- NZPA