Andrew Forsman hasn’t ruled out exciting four-year-old prospect White Noise making a Group 1 appearance during the Hawke’s Bay spring carnival.
The Cambridge trainer has yet to lock in a program for the son of Westbury Stud’s El Roca, who was a dashing first-up winner over 1400 metres at Te Rapa on Saturday, but at least one trip south is on the cards.
“He’ll probably run at 1600 metres at his next start or two, there is an open mile on the first day at Hastings for him,” Forsman said.
“If he performed well again, we could think about the weight-for-age mile (G1 Arrowfield Stud Plate) on the second day. He’s probably going to be telling us where we’re going.”
White Noise was successful four times in his classic year, including victories in the G3 Wellington Stakes and the Listed 3YO Salver at Ellerslie.
While he has won up to 2100 metres against his own age group, Forsman has yet to work out the gelding’s pet trip.
“There is still a bit to know about him and what his best distance is and whether he really stays,” he said.
Forsman had expected a bold resuming run at Te Rapa from White Noise and praised 3kg claiming apprentice Kelsey Hannan for the initiative she showed in taking the grey to the front.
“He is a classy horse as it was a very good field and the way the track was playing, we weren’t sure how it would unfold,” he said.
“Kelsey is riding well and after he began so well she was committed and fair play to her.”
White Noise is raced by a large syndicate that includes his breeders Mike Gatt and Matthew and Allan Fenwick and is out of the unraced Sir Percy mare White Nymph.
El Roca also struck in Singapore where the Gerry Harvey-bred and Fortuna-raced Rocky capped off the promising start he has made for trainer Donna Logan with a maiden success at Kranji over 1100 metres.
Placed in two of his previous three starts, he was bought out of Westbury’s Ready to Run Sale draft for $80,000 and is a son of the Encosta De Lago mare Anthology, a daughter of dual Group 1 winner Imananabaa.
Anthology has a two-year-old Telperion filly and last season delivered a daughter of Savabeel before she was again served by El Roca.
Meanwhile, Redwood sired a winning double at Hawera where Aricina and Ironwood were successful in their respective 1600 metre contests.
Allan Sharrock trains three-time winner Aricina for breeder Harvey and is a daughter of Torlundy, a Zabeel mare from two-time elite level winner Tartan Tights, who has a Reliable Man juvenile colt and foaled a Redwood filly in 2021 before returning to the son of High Chaparral.
“She is a talented mare who has had issues throughout her career, but we have her coming somewhere near right,” Sharrock said. “She will probably head to the Interprovincial in a fortnight.”
Reliable Man’s hot streak continued with the Peter Lock-trained Badgeringthewitness a runaway winner over 1400 metres at Matamata and James Barrie made a winning Australian debut at Kembla Grange over 1400 metres.
The promising Westbury graduate Hemsworth also struck again over 1500 metres at Kilcoy to further his record to four victories from 13 starts for trainer Kris Lees.
His dam is the unraced Zabeel mare Betty Blockbuster, who is a sister to the G1 One Thousand Guineas winner Inaflury.
Swiss Ace four-year-old Canchero was a winner here from Jim Collett’s stable in Harvey’s familiar colours and subsequently relocated to Malaysia where as Mr Ex he has now also been successful.
He is out of the late Danehill mare Show Exhibit, who boasts an international pedigree that includes multiple Group 1 winner and former champion sire El Gran Senor, and her last offspring is a colt foaled last season by Tarzino.