Trainer Mark Walker has high hopes for his talented mare Skew Wiff as she prepares to compete at Flemington in the Group 2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m).
Skew Wiff, a four-year-old bred and raced by Waikato Stud, had a strong start to her spring campaign in New Zealand. She finished as the runner-up in the Group 2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa in August and then secured her maiden Group One victory in the Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings last month.
This impressive performance led to her journey across the Tasman Sea to join Te Akau Racing's newly-established Cranbourne barn.
“She carries the Group One winners' penalty, but she has earned it; she is a Group One winner, and we think that she is a nice mare,” Walker shared with Racing.com.
He also highlighted the tactical brilliance of jockey Opie Bosson in the Tarzino Trophy, where Skew Wiff's short sprint was expertly managed to secure the win.
Skew Wiff's previous achievements include being a runner-up in the Group 1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m), Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m), and Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) last year. Walker believes that her ideal distance is 1400m, and if she performs well in the Rose Of Kingston Stakes, they would consider targeting the A$10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) in Sydney next month.
On another front, Walker reported that stable star Imperatriz, who won the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley, is in good shape and on track to return to Melbourne for the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) later this month.
Walker praised Imperatriz's versatility, mentioning that as a three-year-old, she won races up to a mile. The Manikato Stakes, at 1200m, seems to be a perfect fit for her.
Walker also indicated that they might take her for a visit to Flemington and potentially back to The Valley before her run in the Manikato Stakes.
In the world of horse racing, Skew Wiff and Imperatriz are making waves under the guidance of trainer Mark Walker.