Back in Familiar Surroundings

The Informant reports:

Just days after returning from Australia, quality racemare Abidewithme has settled into familiar surroundings as she prepares to take on Group One company at Te Aroha on Saturday.

The Redoute's Choice six-year-old is back at Te Akau Racing's Matamata stable, only this time in the care of Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards after departing last year when Jason Bridgman was the operation's resident trainer.

In her last domestic start Abidewithme won the Gr. 2 Travis Stakes at Te Rapa in late April before being transferred by her owner-breeder Sir Patrick Hogan to Peter Moody's Melbourne stable. The double-edged plan to add Australian form to her record and mate her with a high-profile stallion began well when she scored a first-up win in a 1400-metre mares' handicap at Caulfield, but she was unplaced in three subsequent Group One races.

Plans to get Abidewithme in foal were scrapped and after an early summer spell she returned to racing in early March. That unplaced performance was followed a fortnight later by a fifth placing in the Listed Golden Mile at Bendigo, but days later Moody lost his licence at the end of a long-running cobalt investigation.

Thus Abidewithme is back where it all started and ready to step out in Saturday's Gr. 1 Fiber Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes.

“She arrived back here last Thursday looking very fit and it's as if she never left,” said Autridge. “She's settled right in and has put 10 kilograms back on.

“She'll do a bit of faster work tomorrow morning and I expect that's all she'll need heading into the weekend.”

Abidewithme finished third to Diademe and Sports Illustrated in last year's Breeders' Stakes, followed two weeks later by a sixth placing in the Easter Handicap before backing up the following week to win the Travis Stakes.

“Starting Saturday she'll follow exactly the same programme again,” Autridge said. “All three races are good chances to add to her record and it would be good to see her win one of them.

“The way I understand it, she'll be going to Tavistock in the spring then racing on through to early summer when a race like the Zabeel Classic should be right up her alley.”