Dual Group One winner La Crique looked to be near her brilliant best at the Te Awamutu trials on Tuesday, with a trip to Queensland on the cards.
A long-standing foot issue, alongside unfavourable track conditions, has plagued another season for the talented mare with just four starts under her belt, however she still managed to add a second career Group One in the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) in late February.
La Crique’s trainers Katrina and Simon Alexander were dealt with another blow when being forced to late-scratch her as hot-favourite for the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) in March, but the couple remained positive with hopes of heading to the Queensland Winter Carnival with their stable star.
The daughter of Vadamos took a positive step in that direction when effortlessly striding into second in her 1150m heat behind Dusty Road, after settling worse than midfield under Matthew Cameron.
“She’s really thriving, with a bit of age on her we have to be cautious that she doesn’t get away on us fitness-wise which is why we chose to give her a trial,” Katrina Alexander said.
“We were stuck between trying to keep her fresh with the goal of going to Rotorua and needing a bit of a hit-out in company, so I didn’t want her going out there and doing too much.
“Matt didn’t ask a lot of her, she had drawn quite wide so even though she jumped away well, she would’ve been parked out so he’s just eased her and she’s relaxed and come home strong. We were very pleased.
“He said she felt super and he couldn’t fault her, so that was what we wanted to achieve.”
Alexander indicated the mare’s final domestic appearance for the season would likely be in the Gr.3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park next Saturday (May 11), provided the track is to suit.
“That’s all there is left for her really in New Zealand, keeping in mind that we don’t want to be getting into the depths of winter on our tracks,” she said.
“She’ll only run there if the track is reasonable, which is a little bit of a gamble at this time of the year, so hopefully we get a good May weatherwise. All going well, coming through there, we will look at Brisbane options for her.”
Alexander has earmarked a weight-for-age fillies and mares’ mile on June 8 at Eagle Farm as a potential kick-off point, with further options available through the remainder of the carnival.
“That seems like a logical kicking off point, and hopefully from there we can string a few races together at that time of the year,” she said.
“We know what we’re dealing with now, and when this horse is right, she is just super and as we know her to be. When she’s not, she lets us know so we just have to do what she allows us too.”
As the mare nears the end of her five-year-old season in a career spanning just 18 starts, albeit many of these in top company, Alexander is mindful of the time La Crique has left on the track.
“She’s got another birthday coming up shortly, so how much time we have left with her is always in the back of our minds,” she said.
“I know she’s got another prep in her and it would be nice to get some Australian black-type if possible, and because she’s had such a patchy season she really hasn’t had a lot of racing under her belt.
“Hopefully we can get her over there for her owners who have been very patient, the horse deserves to be rewarded with something nice in Australia to add to her pedigree page for whenever the broodmare paddock comes for her.”