Promising mare Pour The Wine is set to bring the curtain down on a successful season when she heads to Te Rapa on Saturday to contest the Prezzy Card Sprint (1400m).
The daughter of Telperion has been a standout for owner-breeder Daniel Nakhle this term, having won three and placed in two of her five starts this season, including a third placing in the inaugural $350,000 Rangitoto Classic (1500m).
She was runner-up behind dual Group 3 winner Sacred Satono at Ellerslie last start and trainers Peter and Dawn Williams are hoping she can go one better in her final start this preparation.
“She is going in with great form,” Peter Williams said.
“The horse is well, she is in at the right weight and we have got a good rider on. This will be her last start, she will be going out for a spell after Saturday.”
While confident in his mare's ability, Williams said competing left-handed for the first time this season was his only concern.
“She hasn't done much left-handed racing, I think she only had one as a three-year-old,” he said.
“She is older now and a bit more streetwise, so hopefully she can handle the left-handed way alright, that is my only query.”
Pour The Wine has only been tested at stakes level on one occasion, and Williams is eyeing a return to that level next season in the hope of snaring some valuable black-type.
“The Westbury Classic (Group 2, 1400m) would be a nice race for her,” he said.
While Pour The Wine will have to wait until next season for her stakes assignments, stablemate Out Of Exile will have her first tilt at that level this weekend when she contests the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre 2YO Stakes (1400m).
The daughter of Brazen Beau, who also runs in part-owner Daniel Nakhle's colours, was runner-up on debut behind race-rival Renovations at Te Rapa last month, and Williams is hoping she can sneak some black-type this weekend.
“We are going to run her,” he said.
“She is probably out of her league a little bit but there was nothing wrong with her first start, she was running home nice over 1100.
“I know it's going to 1400m and she is not very big, but she is in the race and there are a couple of nice ones in it, but if she is good enough to run third we would be rapt.”