The boys have had their turn and now Kentuckiana Lodge will seek more Group One success during New Zealand Cup Week.
Freeze Frame led a three-horse attack by trainers Cran and Chrissie Dalgety in the Group One Sires Stakes Final for the 2yo boys on Tuesday.
Now Kentuckiana Lodge will front up with three more classy youngsters for the Group One Sires Stakes Final for 2yo fillies in All Of Me, Bettor Belle, and The Queen’s Gambit.
Qualifying three horses for both Group One events for two-year-olds is a thrill for the Kentuckiana team.
“When you’re educating young horses and doing those early preps, the goal is always to make these races,” Cran said.
“We managed to get a bit of luck on Tuesday with Freeze Frame and hopefully our three fillies can fly the flag on Friday.”
All Of Me opened the early favourite for the Group One Sires Stakes Final.
The daughter of former racetrack star Dream About Me hasn’t had a typical build-up for a Sires Stakes Final.
But her’s could prove to be even better than a conventional lead-up.
“She’s only been to the one heat of the series, and she ran out of room in the straight,” Cran said.
“Just the way the programmes have worked out, when she has needed a run, she has been thrown in against the boys several times.”
“Each time she acquitted herself very well, which would have been too daunting for a lot of fillies.”
“Drawn 7 in a classy field, she is going to need to be good and to make her own luck.”
“But we have plenty of faith in her — she is a lovely filly.”
The Queen’s Gambit will go into the Sires Stakes Final on the back of a solid sixth in a heat of the series at Ashburton.
“Her Ashburton run was good — she was fresh-up and did more work than most before finishing close enough to them.”
“We are hopeful she will enjoy the pressure of this kind of racing — she is not one to chuck the towel in.”
“When it gets tough, she can keep trucking.”
Bettor Belle was just in front of The Queen’s Gambit in fifth at Ashburton.
Drawing barrier 8 looks a major challenge for the filly on Friday.
“In a sprint home at Ashburton, there was absolutely nothing wrong with her run.”
“She is fit, healthy, and well, but they have gone and given us the eight saddlecloth.”
“We hope it’s one of those races where afterwards it turns out it wasn’t a bad draw at all.”
Kentuckiana Lodge has a two-pronged attack on the Group One New Zealand Free-For-All with stable star Republican Party and Cup Day winner Franco Sinatra.
Magician will also start at Addington on Show Day.
