KEY POINTS:
Waikato trainer Stephen Autridge will chase more 1600m races for Vercors, smart winner of the $50,000 listed Cambridge Lodge Breeders Stakes at Tauherenikau yesterday.
Vercors, a 4-year-old Catbird mare, could be aimed at the $150,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha on April 7, Autridge said after she beat the favourite Zilzie yesterday.
"We might also look at the Captain Cook Stakes later on," he said.
Vercors, who is owned and bred by Peter and Philip Vela, made it three wins in a row, giving her a race record of four wins from 15 starts.
"She's hit a purple patch and we think she can continue to improve too," said Autridge, who trains in partnership with Graeme Rogerson.
"We are happy to stay at a mile, but I don't think it will be a concern stepping up to 2000m later."
Vercors wasn't fancied by punters, starting at $16.70, but was handled expertly by Darryl Bradley who had her placed handily from a good draw and timed his run perfectly in the straight to down Zilzie by three-quarters of a length, with the same margin back to Primavera, who nosed Thee Auld Hussie out of the placings.
The run by Zilzie had plenty of merit and she should be placed to advantage by Ross Elliot in the coming months.
The Autridge-Rogerson stable recorded a double when La Bella Signora, a Cullen filly, proved too strong in a 1000m maiden.
* Halobelle will attempt to win the second leg of a $100,000 southern triple crown at Gallop South's first ever premier race day at Wingatui on Saturday.
Trained by Wayne Stevens, Halobelle won the first leg, the Gore Guineas, and placegetters in that race, Motunau and Zeddane, are also nominated for Saturday's second leg, the $50,000 Pacific Sheet and Coil Dunedin Guineas.
The third leg is the Southland Guineas at Invercargill on February 24.
Saturday is being promoted as Dunedin Champions' Day, with $366,000 in stakemoney on offer.
The group three White Robe Lodge Stakes has Sand Sweeper, Coup Bloomsbury, Coup Entrepreneur, Pins 'n' Needles, Pasco and Julinsky Princess as its highest rated runners.
Other feature events on the card for Saturday are the listed Dunedin Casino Gold Cup, Ford Champagne Stakes and ABN Amro Craigs Eclipse Stakes.
- NZPA
