Racing: Classy mare in fine fettle for features

Hec Anderton.
Hec Anderton.
The Diamond One is North Island-bound for the first stage of a two-race attack on mares' features.

The last-start winner in the White Robe Lodge Handicap left Wingatui yesterday morning in the care of co-trainer Claire Anderton.

She was joined at Wingatui by Southland filly Belle Miraaj, who will tackle the group 1 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham on Saturday.

The pair stayed in Christchurch last night.

''They cross over tomorrow, and they'll have a couple of days at Trentham,'' co-trainer Hec Anderton said.

''All going well, we'll get Saturday over, and then she'll go on to Howie Mathews' place [at Otaki] in anticipation of possibly heading up to Te Aroha.

''You can only plan that way but it doesn't always work out that way.''

Saturday's assignment is the group 3 Cuddle Stakes - a fillies and mares' 1600m in which The Diamond One is the top-rated mare in the race at 101.

Hec Anderton said the 5yr-old's work had been top-notch since her emotional White Robe Lodge win, just three days after the death of her trainer, Steven Anderton.

''She's up to what she's capable of, I think.''

Provided everything goes to script, Wingatui could have two representatives in the group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha on April 4 if Include comes through the Canterbury Breeders Stakes next week in fine fettle and joins The Diamond One in the line-up.

Leading apprentice jockey Rory Hutchings will resume his partnership with The Diamond One in Saturday's $70,000 feature.

There is no sign of the stable slowing down, and Sofia Loren is engaged to run in the listed 3yr-old fillies' 1400m at Ashburton on Friday.

The race, part of the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year series, was rescheduled to Friday after it was unable to be run at Wingatui last Saturday when the meeting was abandoned.

All but one of the fillies engaged last Saturday were nominated for Friday's running, and the race has been bolstered by the inclusion of Di Monet and Starlight Angel.

Anderton confirmed Rosie Myers would retain the ride after missing out on her chance to climb aboard last Saturday.

Wyndham was looming as a likely option for open-class sprinter Anzac Star until the open 1100m was amended to a lower-rating benchmark.

Rating 89 horse The Knight will now carry 59kg, and Anzac Star's rating of 98 would have meant a heavy penalty for the son of Seasoned Star.

''He would have had to carry 63kg,'' Anderton said.

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