Matamata trainer Ken Kelso, in partnership with his wife Bev, made a strategic decision regarding their Group One-winning mare, Legarto.
Instead of risking her on a heavy track in last Saturday's Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Hastings, they chose to withdraw her from the race.
Kelso shifted his focus to this weekend's Listed Matamata Cup (1600m), where Legarto could potentially join the prestigious list of past winners.
One notable past winner of the Matamata Cup was Waverley Star, who won the race in 1986 by an impressive seven lengths before his memorable battle with Bonecrusher in the Group 1 Cox Plate.
Kelso mentioned, “I was told yesterday that DJ (trainer Dave O'Sullivan) had used this race as a lead-up to the Cox Plate so we're hoping it works out alright for us too.”
If Legarto or her key rival, La Crique, were to win the Matamata Cup, they would become the first established Group One winners to triumph in this handicap race.
Past Matamata Cup winners like Waverley Star, Mickey's Town, and Rodin went on to achieve Group One success, and Ethereal, a notable placegetter in 2001, won the Group 1 Caulfield Cup and the Group 1 Melbourne Cup after her Matamata Cup run.
Legarto enters the race as the favourite at -142.86, followed by La Crique at +500 and Aquacade at +750.
The Kelsos stand by their decision to withdraw Legarto from the Arrowfield Stud Plate due to the deteriorating track conditions, as Kelso explained, “I'm just very glad I made the call on Saturday.”
With a weight advantage of 58.5kg in the Matamata Cup compared to La Crique's 60kg, Legarto is well-placed for her final lead-up race to the $A10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on November 4.
Kelso expressed satisfaction with this arrangement, stating, “It's all worked out really well. From this race, it's four weeks to the Golden Eagle.”
Looking ahead, Kelso reported that Legarto has been training exceptionally well, and they have a four-week period to plan her preparation for the Golden Eagle.
He shared, “We're very happy with her. I thought her work leading up to Hawke's Bay was excellent, and yesterday's work on the course proper was very good, so she's pretty right.”