Fillies in Top Order for Group 1

The Informant reports:

Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards will have two runners in Saturday's bid for a notable age-group Group One double in the Ellerslie carnival.

The Te Akau duo, who won last weekend's Vodafone New Zealand Derby with Gingernuts, will saddle Melody Belle and Gold Fever in the Sistema Stakes for two-year-olds. They also won this race last year with Fastnet Rock colt Heroic Valour.

Melody Belle will be making her first start since winning the Karaka Million over the same course and distance in late January, while Gold Fever is a last-start winner of the Gr. 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes.

“They're both doing really well,” Richards said. “We're really pleased with how Melody Belle has been progressing. She galloped with Benzini between races on Matamata Breeders' Stakes day and she went very well that day. She's really come on from that and we couldn't be happier with her.

“Gold Fever hasn't taken a lot of work since she won at Matamata, she's pretty fit and we're very happy with her condition too.”

The one concern is the prospect of significantly rain-affected footing for Saturday's $200,000 feature.

“It'll just depend on how wet it is,” Richards said. “Melody Belle has trialled on a wet track at Avondale and won that day.

“I think they'll both get away with it, but whether they'll have the same turn of foot, we'll have to wait and see.”

With Te Akau's number-one rider Opie Bosson side-lined by suspension, Michael McNab will ride Melody Belle and Cameron Lammas will take the mount on Gold Fever.

A third talented juvenile from the stable, the Listed Reid & Harrison Slipper runner-up Summer Monsoon, will bypass Saturday's race.

“He'll go straight to the Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes,” Richards said. “He's very well, although he just took a couple of days to get over the race at Matamata. Opie (Bosson) suggested to us that he's probably looking for longer distances already, so we thought he might get found out a bit if we had another go at 1200. Stepping straight up to 1400 metres looks like the best option.”