La Dorada gets NZB Kiwi spot as ‘The People’s Horse’.

Te Akau Racing strengthened their representation in next month’s $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) following the announcement of their Group One winner La Dorada as ‘The People’s Horse’.

Last season’s New Zealand Champion Two-Year-Old will represent the Clubs and the winners of The NZB Kiwi Golden Ticket campaign in the Southern Hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race, joining stablemates Belle Cheval (The King’s Men) and He Who Dares (Te Akau Racing).

Following a standout juvenile season where she won four of her five starts, including the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), La Dorada disappointed in her two-race campaign in Australia last spring, but bounced back with victory in the Gr.2 Levin Classic (1400m) and a last-start placing in the $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m).

Mark Walker, who trains the filly alongside Sam Bergerson, is pleased to have a third contender in the NZB Kiwi, which will be run at Ellerslie in a fortnight.

“We took her to Melbourne in the spring and for whatever reason she didn’t really come up,” Walker said. “She had three weeks on the grass at Te Akau and it seemed to be the recipe to get her going well again.

“They were pretty tough races in the spring in Australia, but it was good to see her bounce back in New Zealand.”

Stablemate Belle Cheval will have her final hit-out ahead of the NZB Kiwi when she heads to Ellerslie on Saturday to tackle the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m).