Racing: Waikato Stud focus on Trentham

Fashionably is set for the Oaks. Photo / Race Images

Garry Chittick is hoping New Zealand Oaks day at Trentham can provide further cause for celebration for the family this weekend.

Chittick became a grandfather again last Friday when his son Mark's partner, Pip, gave birth to a son, Charles, and the new arrival could prove the precursor to further elation at Trentham, should Waikato Stud's four runners in stakes races run up to their potential.

The farm's silks will go aboard the Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained Fashionably and the Graeme and Debbie Rogerson-trained Date Night in the Wellfield NZ Oaks.

They will also be represented by the Graham Richardson-trained Babe in the Wellington Guineas and the Tony Pike-prepared Snowdrop in the Lightning Handicap.

"We've got a nice team in at Trentham and we're very much looking forward to it. Actually, between Wednesday and Saturday, we've got 10 horses starting for us, so I'm feeling a bit like the Aga Khan," Chittick quipped.

"We're thrilled to have two runners in the Oaks. We've won it before with Legs and were unlucky not to win it with Daffodil when her gate was slow to open. But we might not have gone to Sydney and won the Australian Oaks had that not happened, so you'd have to say it's been a pretty good race to us."

Savabeel filly Date Night ran an eye-catching fourth placing in the Sunline Vase at Trentham in her Oaks lead-up, while Fashionably, by Redoute's Choice out of Queensland Oaks winner Scarlett Lady, hit the line strongly for fifth in the Lowland Stakes at Hastings two days earlier.

"The Oaks is a very strong field, but you never know who is going to run out 2400m," Chittick said.

"I've always had a high opinion of Nicoletta and Bonneval is the form filly of the race, but Debbie is very bullish with Date Night and has been all the way through.

"With Fashionably, we're really hoping the pedigree comes through. She went a good race at Hastings."

O'Reilly filly Babe earned her Wellington Guineas start with a meritorious last-start win at Matamata.

- NZ Racing Desk