Mid-week Te Rapa test for NZ Derby Favourite

Exciting kiwi 3YO Rocket Spade is tackling older horses at Te Rapa on Wednesday as part of his preparation for the Gr1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m), according to loveracing.nz. Rocket Spade, trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott at Matamata, is the favourite on the TAB futures market for the Derby following his victory in the Gr2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. In previous years the Gr2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) was run on the first weekend of February, giving trainers with Derby-bound candidates the option of running their horses in both this and the Gr2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) two weeks later as lead-ins to the Derby, a further two weeks after the Avondale Guineas. However, the Waikato Guineas is now run on the second weekend of February, just a week before the Avondale Guineas, hence the stable’s decision to contest the Fasttrack Insurance Handicap (2100m) on Wednesday instead. “There’s no other race for him,” O’Sullivan conceded. “It’s just in a difficult space because we want to give him two runs over ground before the Derby.” Rocket Spade will carry 62kg at Te Rapa, giving weight to all his opponents, none of which is younger than five, and O’Sullivan said his colt doesn’t need to win to stay on the Derby track. Provided Rocket Spade gets through that race well, he will then head to the Avondale Guineas on February 20 as his lead-in to the Derby on March 6.

Derby-bound Spade (pic: Trish Dunell)