Prise De Fer on Group 3 Prowl

Raceform's Richard Edmunds reports:

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Race conditions perfect for Prise De Fer in Eagle Technology Stakes

Prise De Fer will be favoured by the set weight and penalty conditions of the Eagle Technology Stakes at Te Rapa on Saturday.

A rating of 102 makes handicap racing a daunting task for Prise De Fer, but the repeated big-race placegetter could be a force to be reckoned with under the set weights and penalties conditions of Saturday's Gr. 3 Eagle Technology Stakes at Te Rapa.

The well-performed son of Savabeel has earned more than $600,000 in his 37-start, nine-win career, with victories in the Gr. 2 Rich Hill Mile, Gr. 3 Taranaki Cup and Gr. 3 Canterbury Gold Cup backed up by another 10 black-type placings - five of them at Group One level.

Despite his formidable accomplishments and a rating that towers above all others in Saturday's field, the seven-year-old will carry 56 kilograms in the $85,000 feature - just one kilogram above the minimum for geldings and entires.

Prise De Fer heads into the race in good form, having run a gutsy second to Demonetization in the Gr. 2 Tauranga Stakes two weeks ago.

“He was brave at Tauranga,” trainer Mark Walker told RaceForm. “He was caught three wide with no cover, so to still be as close as he was at the finish was a pretty good effort.

“It's only a couple of weeks between races, so we haven't done all that much with him and have just kept him ticking over.

“He's clearly the highest-rated runner in this field but actually gets in relatively well under the set weights and penalties, so it looks like a really good race for him. But that does depend on the weather a little bit - we wouldn't want the ground to be too wet.”

Stablemate Brando has also been a placegetter at the highest level, finishing second in the Levin Classic as a three-year-old and third in last season's WFA Classic at Otaki.

The five-year-old has been in the wars this spring, suffering lacerations to both pasterns when seventh in last month's Gr. 3 Sweynesse Stakes, and receiving veterinary treatment for another cut at Tauranga last start. Despite that, he still made up good ground for second behind subsequent Group Two placegetter Express Princess.

“He's had a few issues through the spring, but I thought he ran well at Tauranga against the pattern of the day,” Walker said.

“I'm happy with how both horses are looking, and they should both be nice chances against what - on paper - might be a bit below what they raced against at Tauranga.”

Walker is also double-handed in Saturday's Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial, saddling last-start winner Family Ties as well as promising Savabeel gelding Savoir Faire, who has placed in all of his three starts.

“Savoir Faire was probably unlucky not to win his last start, and Family Ties won really well at Hawke's Bay,” Walker said. “I think they both have the makings of nice three-year-olds.

“It's just a bit hard with three-year-olds at this time of the year. If you run them at Rating 65, they're up against older horses, so you really have no choice but to put them in at the deep end in these better three-year-old races. It'll be interesting to see how they measure up.”

Note: Family Ties has since been scratched from Te Rapa