2 Oct 2017Embellish could put a piece of the Gr.1 NZ 2000 Guineas’ puzzle together for Te Akau Racing when he resumes at Ruakaka on Wednesday.
The son of Savabeel is one of six horses trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards have entered for the Al Basti Equiworld-sponsored 1600-metre classic at Riccarton on November 11 and will be looking to improve on his debut performance when he contests the Lion Red 1200.
Embellish was runner-up to Not Unusual Trip at Ellerslie last April and was then put aside for a spell. He reappeared with a trials run for second at Te Teko on August 31 and is expected to be hard to beat fresh-up.
“He’s a 2000 Guineas hope and we need to get started on him,” Richards said. “He trialled up well and he’s done well since. He’s a horse we’ve got a lot of time for.”
Embellish, a brother to Group One winner Diademe, was bought by David Ellis for $775,000 at the Premier Session of the 2016 National Yearling Sales at Karaka and is raced by the Te Akau 2016 Breeding Syndicate.
He shaped up well in two trials before his debut, finishing third to the exciting Ardrossan in his first heat at Rotorua last March then beating stablemate and subsequent stakes runner-up Summer Monsoon at the Matamata trials later that month.
In all bar his latest trial, Embellish has been ridden by stable jockey Opie Bosson, who will again take the reins on Wednesday.
Embellish faces an interesting line-up in the Lion Red 1200 as the maiden three-year-old event also includes three other entrants for the 2000 Guineas – Hanger, Ever Loyal and Revered – and three fillies entered for the Gr.1 Gavelhouse.com NZ Bloodstock 1000 Guineas on November 18, namely the debutantes Dama Zorro, Power Dream and Tokyo Lil.
Hanger lost his rider at the start when resuming at Taupo, but his other outing was in the Listed Reid & Harrison Slipper at Matamata last February and he finished an eye-catching third to subsequent Gr.1 Sistema Diamond Stakes winner Summer Passage (a leading candidate for the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas) and Summer Monsoon.
Embellish’s stablemates also entered for the NZ 2000 Guineas are Gingernuts’ brother Griffin, Te Akau Shark, Wandering Eye, Age Of Fire and Heart Of Courage.
– NZ Racing Desk.