Forsman buoyed by Te Rapa hitout for Group 1 contender Hinekaha

A Tuesday morning trip across to Te Rapa has Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman in a positive frame of mind with his quartet of feature race candidates at Waikato Thoroughbred Racing headquarters on Saturday. 

Heading the contingent is Hinekaha, who had raceday rider Craig Grylls in the saddle for a solo hitout on the Te Rapa course proper as she prepared for her Group 1 debut in the $700,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m). 

“The track was lovely after a bit of rain overnight and it was good to get across there for a nice hitout ahead of the weekend,” Forsman said. 

“Hinekaha worked over 1400m and picked up the tempo from the 800. She got home in around 36.5, which was great work, she did it very well. 

“Craig was very happy with her too, so she looks all set for Saturday.”

The Savabeel mare completed a hattrick when winning the Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes over the same 2000m as Saturday’s weight-for-age feature at Te Rapa in December.

In her only start since she closed late for a short-neck second to Tuxedo in the Group 3 Aotearoa Classic (1600m) on the Karaka Millions card and will be more suited to the additional distance on Saturday.

Forsman is also looking forward to testing some of the rising talent in his team, two of them against age-group opposition in the Group 2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2100m), Group 2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) and the other in the special conditions Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m). 

Single Red, the winner of her last two starts, is entered for both three-year-old features, Chilling Out, who finished fifth in the Listed Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), is in the Ellis Classic, while Rambling On, a winner at Te Rapa in December, prepared for the Karapiro Classic with a recent trial win at Pukekohe.