Matamata Tuesday Trackwork

Class racemares Viadana, Xanadu and Fix confirmed their fitness for Saturday's New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes with impressive trackwork at Matamata this morning.

Viadana was ridden by raceday rider Craig Grylls when she and Needlly (Dowling) strode over 1200m on the plough, running the distance in 1:15.9, 1000m in 1:01.8 and 600m in 36.8. Viadana, who appears to have thrived since her Tauranga win, edged ahead of her stablemate over the final stages of the gallop. Needlly will run in Saturday's open 1400.

Michael Coleman took last year's Breeders' Stakes winner Xanadu for a solo gallop on the plough, recording 1:16.2 for 1200m and 1:01.5 over the last 1000m. Fog prevented any further sectional timing but she stretched out impressively to the line.

The Kelso stable's second Breeders' Stakes candidate, Fix (K Jones), worked on the course proper with Sir Elmo (A Jones), where the going against the nine-metre rail position just had the fire out of it. After working away steadily from the winning post, they had a full head of stem up passing the 1200m mark, running that distance in a smart 1:13 and maintaining the tempo for a final 600m in 35.8. No 1000m time was possible due to the fog.

Fix, who returned to form at Tauranga last week, relished her work as she led Sir Elmo to the finish. Sir Elmo will race in Rating 75 grade at either Te Aroha or Hastings on the weekend.

Most other work took place on the plough, where Te Aroha open 1400 rivals Ididit (C Grylls) and Jubilate (Sapsworth) where paired in sound work over 1200m in 1:18.8, 1000m in 1:03.3 and 600m in 36.4. Volcano (R Jones) and Augusta National (Dowling), who will resume in the Rating 75 1400 at Te Aroha, covered the same distance in 1:16.6, 1:02.3 and 37.2.

Te Aroha three-year-old 1400 entrant La Adelita (Miller) and Sunset Pass (Misbah) began steadily to run 1200m in 1:20.5, quickening stylishly for a final 1000m in 1:04.7 and 600m in 35.6. Promising stayer Chazelle (J Collett) was also impressive as she prepared for Te Aroha over 1200m in 1:16, 1:03.1 and 36.4.

Letmeby (Coleman) and Tiara Concerto (Sapsworth) ran the same trip in 1:17.5, 1:03 and 36.8, Precious Time (Richards) returned 1:10.2, 1:06 and 38.4, and Alice Web Ellis (Sapsworth) and Ratmansky (Wilson) took 1:27.4, 1:08.9 and 39.8.

Hastings weekend runners Silverdale (C Grylls) and Babilloni (Brown) worked at a solid tempo over 1200m in 1:16.2, but no sectional times were possible.

Over 1000m Chambord (Miller) and Royal Rhythm (Misbah) recorded 1:04.2 and 36.7 in preparation for next week's trials, Persuasive (C Grylls) and Viking Regent (Hutton) took 1:05 and 37.6, Umizoomi (Blair) 1:14 and 40.4, Copacabana (Wratten) 1:08.4 and 39.8, Urban Angel (R Jones) 1:10.7 and 38.9, Stylee (Miller) and Speeding (Colgan) 1:08.2 and 36.3, and Brer (Hazlett) 1:14.2 and 40.8.

On the all-weather track The Bunsta (C Ormsby) was timed over his final 1000m in 1:08.6 and 38, while Te Aroha entrant Ira Bean (McRae) ended striding work with 1200m in 1:17.3 and 1:04.6 for the last 1000m.

Credit - Dennis Ryan