Cole navigating familiar path with stable star in Telegraph

Matamata trainer Cody Cole is following a similar blueprint to last year with Navigator, who will head into the Group Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham on Saturday fresh-up.

The six-year-old son of El Roca was also in a fresh state when placing in the race last year, and Cole saw no reason not to follow that same path this year.

“We did that last year with him and that’s the way to have him,” Cole said.

“He performed well there last year and I feel like we have got him going a bit better than that this year.”

The Navigator hasn’t been sighted on raceday since he was unplaced in his sole start over spring in the Group 1 Proisir Plate (1400m) at Ellerslie in September, but Cole is happy with the way he has come up this time in.

“He had a jumpout at Te Rapa and he won that comfortably on the bridle, so we know he is back to himself,” Cole said. “

“He had a few niggles in the spring and we have put those behind us and hopefully the best version of him turns up tomorrow, and if he does, he shouldn’t be too far off them.”

Cole is also excited about the prospects of two-year-old filly Silhouette, who will line up in the Listed JR & N Berkett Wellesley Stakes (1100m).

The daughter of Armory won on debut over 900m at Trentham in October, and she was set to return to the Upper Hutt track last month to contest the Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m), but a bout of colic thwarted those plans.