Guineas hope a sweet treat

Quality filly Cream Tart produced a stylish Group 1 rehearsal at Trentham where she defeated a small but select age group line-up.

The daughter of our shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain was too good over 1400 metres to see her price from $18 to $10 and equal fourth favourite for next month’s New Zealand 1000 Guineas at Riccarton.

“She’s a very talented filly, still a bit light-framed but we’re in a short run up to the Guineas as many of the three-year-olds are with the way things have gone through the spring,” trainer Tony Pike said.

“I didn’t really want to take on the big guns on Monday in the Sarten, so this looked like a nice race ahead of the Guineas.”

She also still holds a nomination for the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas, in which she is a $41 chance.

“I’ll make a decision in the next week or so around which Guineas we head to. I thought the boys probably don’t look quite as strong as the fillies at this stage, so there is a chance she could go there,” Pike said.

The well-related Cream Tart bounced well to sit outside the leader before striking the front halfway down the straight and held a strong gallop for rider Craig Grylls at the end of 1400 metres to win by 1.3l.

The filly finished runner-up on debut last season ahead of distancing her rivals at Te Aroha.

Cream Tart was then given a break and was second when resuming at Rotorua before furthering her Guineas claims at Trentham.

The half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Mustang Valley was sold by breeder Windsor Park Stud at New Zealand Bloodstocks National Yearling Sale where Pike secured her for $220,000.

Their dam is the New Approach mare Cream Of The Crop, who is from the family of the great Might And Power

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