The dress rehearsal has gone perfectly and now Kentuckiana Lodge can’t wait for showtime.
Ashburton’s King’s Birthday meeting has long been regarded as the key form meeting for New Zealand Cup Day, and after this year’s edition trainers Cran and Chrissie Dalgety are unlikely to argue.
Kentuckiana Lodge produced the quinella in the final heat of the Sires Stakes 2yo Series before Republican Party continued his faultless New Zealand Cup preparation with his powerhouse win in the Group Two Ashburton Flying Stakes.
Sires Stakes heat winner Freeze Frame’s winning hopes didn’t look too flash when he was stuck behind a horse going nowhere on the home turn.
But the two-year-old overcame that with a powerful winning burst.
“He was left flat-footed on the home turn and if he had run a nice placing we would have been quite pleased,” Cran said.
“But he really got into his work, he’s a lovely stayer and the harder it got the better he got going.”
“He’s done absolutely nothing wrong this time in, his fourth in the Harness Million was very good.”
“He’s off to the Sires Stakes Final now and we can go in knowing he is not going to shirk the task, he should relish the speed and pressure on Cup Day.”
Freeze Frame ran down a very game Fugitive to fill a Kentuckiana quinella.
Fugitive worked three-wide and parked from the 800m and ran an outstanding race.
The pair were followed home by Eun Sogno, who ran a creditable sixth.
The two-year-old was shuffled back mid-race before running on nicely late.
“All three of them ran well, Fugitive was brave while En Sogno was pretty luckless but he warmed up nicely late.”
Just one race later, Republican Party continued his flawless New Zealand Cup preparation with his powerful win in the Ashburton Flying Stakes.
Pundits are hyping the six-year-old as New Zealand’s best New Zealand Cup hope and he confirmed that status when easing away from a star-studded field.
The win puts the Dalgety camp in exactly the same spot they were in before the race, with their task to keep Republican Party in such a great space.
“It is hard to describe really, because in these lead-up races you generally go home with little things to work on and plans to keep improving,” Cran said.
“We still want to keep getting better and peak him on Cup Day, but it’s clear for everyone to see the horse is happy, healthy and in the best possible space.”
“I said it after our last win, our job is to keep him in this shape and this frame of mind.”
“We will be doing everything we can to do that, in fact we are just waiting on a truck to drop off several tonnes of cotton wool to get us through the next two weeks.”
Adding to a great day out for the Kentuckiana team, Forever Dream ran on nicely when she saw clear air in Monday’s Nevele R Fillies heat.
