Former New Zealand Horse of the Year Sharp ‘N’ Smart is set to head to Trentham on Saturday to kick-off his summer campaign and ready for a Group One assignment at the Upper Hutt track next month.
The son of Redwood was runner-up in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) as a three-year-old before going on to win the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), and trainers Graeme and Debbie Rogerson are keen to go one better in the Harcourts-sponsored race next month.
He will prepare for the feature mile this weekend when he lines-up at Trentham in the Gr.2 Bramco Granite & Marble Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m), where he will be ridden by Ryan Elliot from barrier three.
His trainers are pleased with the five-year-old gelding ahead of Saturday, where he will be fresh off a mixed Melbourne Spring campaign, where his third placing in the Gr.2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) was bookended by unplaced runs in the Gr.1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).
“The first run he struck a real bog track in the Turnbull,” Graeme Rogerson said. “He went super in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup where he had 59kg, he had to give a lot of weight away, and he came from last to run third. And things didn’t quite go right in the Cup for him.
“He looks good, and he is back on track. He had a gallop between races at Te Rapa.
“He is getting ready to go back down on January 11th for the Thorndon Mile and then he will go back to the Herbie Dyke.”
Team Rogerson will also be represented at Trentham by Skymax in the Gr.3 Lawnmaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m).
The daughter of Ferrando finished sixth in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in her last two outings, and Rogerson believes she will be competitive in Saturday’s three-year-old fillies’ feature.
“She went well (in the 1000 Guineas), she is probably just below the top three-year-olds,” Rogerson said. “She is going towards the Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m), so it is a nice race for her and young Bailey (Rogerson, apprentice jockey) will ride her. I think she is a chance.”
Rounding out the stable’s representation at Trentham will be fellow three-year-old Elegant Jazz in the Vernon And Vazey Truck Parts 3YO 1200.
The daughter of Russian Revolution won first-up at Rotorua earlier this month, and Rogerson is hoping for a repeat performance this weekend.
“She seems to have come back well as a three-year-old, so we will give her a chance,” he said. “It is a nice race for her and we will go from there with her.”