The Planning Begins for "Blake"

Te Akau Racing's latest star Xtravagant is known as Blake around the stable - named after the intrepid, proud New Zealander Sir Peter Blake ... and The Informant's Dennis Ryan reports that future plans are being crafted ...

A late summer Australian campaign is on the cards for brilliant Sothys New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Xtravagant.

The runaway winner of the Riccarton classic is on his way back north and by tomorrow will be enjoying a well-earned let-up at Te Akau Stud. His first summer target will be the Gr. 1 Levin Classic at Trentham in mid-January and all going to plan beyond that, he will get to showcase his talents across the Tasman in the Gr. 1 Australian Guineas in early March.

“He'll have a couple of weeks out at Te Akau and we'll bring him back and get him up for the Levin Classic,” Autridge told www.theinformant.co.nz 

“That's over 1600 metres and it's another Group One, so it's a race that fits well.  If it's all going the right way he'll have one more start here and then go to Melbourne for the Australian Guineas. You win that and you've got a stallion for sure.”

The honour roll for the Flemington 1600-metre feature includes outstanding sires Zabeel (1990), Flying Spur (1996), Pins (2000) and Reset (2004). O'Reilly was runner-up to Mouawad in 1997.

New Zealand 2000 Guineas form has also been underlined by last year's winner Turn Me Loose, who has gone on to register a Melbourne spring hat-trick completed by his all-the-way win in Saturday's Gr. 1 Emirates Stakes.

Xtravagant's mid-season programme doesn't include a right-handed race, nor any beyond 1600 metres, but Autridge does not see either option as insurmountable for the dashing son of Pentire and Zabeel mare Axiom.

“We're going to stick left-handed for now, but that's more the way the races line up,” he said at the same time as acknowledging that the only blot on Xtravagant's formline was when he raced greenly in his sole right-handed start at Ruakaka in September.

“We're confident he would run a trip, especially ridden in behind. We were in the process of teaching him that style but then when he went and drew so wide in the Guineas he had no option but to go forward.

“All I know is he's a very exciting galloper and we're all looking forward to what lies ahead for him.”

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