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Three 1200 metre trial heats featuring half a dozen Group One winners will provide a tasty entree at Taupo before racing gets underway there on Wednesday.
Among them will be the recently-crowned New Zealand Horse of the Year Mongolian Khan, current Gr.1 Makfi Challenge Stakes favourite Turn Me Loose and the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas hopeful Dal Cielo.
Melbourne Cup contender Mongolian Khan has exceeded the expectations of trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman with his effort for fourth in a Te Teko trial earlier this month.Forsman said the four-year-old was on target to resume in the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on September 12 to set up a possible clash with the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas winner Volkstok'n'barrell.
Turn Me Loose won his 1000 metre trial at Te Teko to head the Makfi market at $4 while last season’s Gr.1 Diamond Stakes winner Dal Cielo ran third and is set to make his spring reappearance in Melbourne.“He won’t race here and will go straight to Australia to get him ready for the Caulfield Guineas,” Forsman said.
Railway Stakes winner In Style will also be in action at Taupo to trim her up for a return to racing during the Hawke’s Bay carnival.“It will be exciting to see her back, she’s as big as a house and we’ll bring her up slowly,” trainer Danica Guy said.
“Depending on the track, she will probably run on the second day at the Hastings carnival and there’s a 1400 metre race on the last day.“If she can run the trip it will give us a lot more options, particularly if we do take her to Australia later on.”
Vespa and Puccini complete the Taupo line-up of Group One winners with both horses also heading for a showdown in the Makfi at Hastings on August 29.