NZ HARNESS NEWS
The feature trotting races at Alexandra Park and Cambridge in December are really beginning to take shape with confirmation that Bordeaux will head north.
The showy chestnut son of Love You will return to scene of his two Group 1 placings to date – Alexandra Park – to take in the Gr. 2 Lyell Creek Stakes on December 15 and the Gr. 1 National Trot on New Year’s Eve.
He placed second in the latter race behind Quite A Moment last year and his trainer, Philip Iggo, is hoping he can go one better this time around.
Not just for the obvious reasons – money and prestige – but also to get a monkey off his back that most people wouldn’t believe to be true.
“We have never actually won a race at Auckland; it is yet to be achieved.
“We have run two or three seconds with Bordeaux, Musculus and The Fat Controller and ran placings in the Rowe Cup and National Trot, but no wins.”
Musculus will accompany Bordeaux north again to tackle the undercard races, the pair set to leave North Canterbury on Friday morning.
“They’ll leave at 8am tomorrow morning after a wee jog and an hour in the paddock.
“After that, we start the long, incredible journey north.”
Both will trial at the now rare workout location of Alexandra Park next Saturday to reacclimatise themselves with the right-handed track.
Iggo is leaning towards giving Bordeaux a third run on his northern campaign, in the Gr. 2 Trotters Flying Mile at Cambridge on Christmas Eve.
“But I have ruled out the trot at Cambridge in the first week of January (Gr. 3 Trotters Flying Stakes).”
After that, Bordeaux will likely make his maiden voyage across the ditch and Iggo may even send Musculus with him as a travelling companion.
“We are kicking around the idea of taking Musculus over there as well.
“It’s a problem as what do I do with him if I’m in Australia with Bordeaux?
“It’s relatively costly and he will only be able to line up in $20,000 races, but we might just bite the bullet and take him too.
“Bordeaux will like having a travelling companion, anyway.”
Iggo looks back fondly on Bordeaux’s last-start effort for fourth in the Gr. 1 Dominion Handicap at Addington on Show Day and believes he was just a victim of circumstances.
“He was simply beaten by the second-row draw.
“He ended up getting a little squeezed at the start and when he improved around the field he got a little inconvenienced too.
“He did what he needed to and he got past Great Things Happen, but he just couldn’t hold off the first three home, who had better trips.
“We were thrilled with the effort and don’t think there is anything more he could have done.”
News of Bordeaux’s return north comes hot on the heels of leading trotter return from injury at the workouts last Saturday and of the news that Group 1 winners Great Things Happen and Sunny Ruby are also likely to make the trip.
- NZ Harness News
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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