CONSIDERED the best race in New Zealand for more than a decade, today's Challenge Stakes at Hastings will have a big bearing on the Caulfield and Melbourne cups along with the Cox Plate, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. It says: Seven individual group-1 winners line up in the 1400-metre feature, formerly known as the Mudgway, and they include Jimmy Choux, Scarlett Lady and Lion Tamer, which between them collected two derbies, four guineas and an oaks last season.Former race winner Fritzy Boy l
CONSIDERED the best race in New Zealand for more than a decade, today's Challenge Stakes at Hastings will have a big bearing on the Caulfield and Melbourne cups along with the Cox Plate, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
It says: Seven individual group-1 winners line up in the 1400-metre feature, formerly known as the Mudgway, and they include Jimmy Choux, Scarlett Lady and Lion Tamer, which between them collected two derbies, four guineas and an oaks last season.
Former race winner Fritzy Boy lines up, along with last spring's Emirates Stakes winner at Flemington, Wall Street, while former New Zealand horse of the year Mufhasa has another crack.
''It is 1400 metres and if she can win at that distance I would be real happy because she's a stayer,'' trainer Graeme Rogerson said of his Queensland Oaks winner Scarlett Lady. Rogerson also told New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing ''we're looking towards the two cups''.
Victoria Derby winner Lion Tamer was a late entry for the Challenge because trainer Murray Baker was not assured of a flight into Victoria for today's Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.
''We're really happy with him,'' Baker said after Lion Tamer missed the autumn due to a hock injury. He can head to Hastings and we'll take him over to Melbourne next week. He's a stayer but he won the Ming Dynasty at 1400 metres this time last year early in his preparation. He's become a really strong horse now.'' (www.smh.com.au)