Connections of star mare Avantage have opted to keep the six-year-old on home soil as she works towards a start in the Group 2 Valachi Downs Foxbridge Plate (1200m) which will be run at Te Rapa on Saturday, pending an Alert Level downgrade on Friday.
The Jamie Richards-trained mare was nominated for both the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) and Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday, but after weighing up their options, the Te Akau team are happy to take the risk that racing will resume in New Zealand sooner rather than later.
It is good news for spring racing in New Zealand, with the nine-time Group One winner a drawcard that will be a mainstay of the Hawke’s Bay Carnival before a later spring raid in Melbourne is considered.
After winning the Foxbridge Plate fresh-up last season, Avantage placed in the three Group One legs of the Hawke’s Bay Triple Crown — Tarzino Trophy (1400m), Windsor Park Plate (1600m) and Livamol Classic (2040m).
In opting to keep Avantage at home, the mare can also avoid a first-up clash with high-class stablemate Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel).
After a pleasing piece of work over 1000m on the Matamata course proper on Tuesday in company with smart three-year-old I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel), Avantage is one of three runners for Richards in the Foxbridge Plate.
“She worked well. I’m pleased with her. They ran a nice bit of time and the track was good,” Richards said on SEN Track's Bensley.
“Certainly the first two legs of Hastings are on the cards and then we will just be a bit open minded about the third leg and assess closer to the time.”
The $1 million Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) on October 30 at Flemington became an enticing target for the mare as she is eligible for a $1 million bonus should she win, having triumphed in the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) in April, one of 12 bonus-qualifying races.
“I think with the million-dollar bonus it has to be closely looked at. I haven’t spoken about it in depth with Dave just yet, but it will certainly be on the table,” Richards said.
