Australia Possible for Cambridge Stud Filly Polygon

Media Release - Thursday February 2

A lucrative Plan B might come into play for stakes-winning filly Polygon with connections considering a trip to Australia for the in-form three-year-old.

An Australian campaign could be in the cards for Polygon. Photo: Trish Dunell

A start for the daughter of Highly Recommended in Friday’s Gr.2 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas (2000m) is highly uncertain with the Te Rapa track currently offering a heavily rain-affected surface after a period of atrocious weather.

Trainer Lance Noble said the odds looked against the Cambridge Stud-bred and raced Polygon taking her place and the weather outlook for Waikato was also far from encouraging.

“It’s looking very doubtful that she will run on Friday, if it stays as a Heavy 9 or worse then no, she won’t. The forecast isn’t that good either,” he said.

Advertisement

“We are looking at a couple of other options, there is the David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (Gr.2, 2000m) on March 11, but that’s not ideal because she hasn’t had a run since New Year’s Day.

“At the moment, we are looking at Australia and if she doesn’t run on Friday, then she could go to Sydney.”

Should the overseas venture come into play, Polygon would make her Australian debut in the Gr.3 Keith Nolan Classic (1600m) at Kembla Grange on March 10.

“Then there’s the Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr.1, 2000m) at Rosehill two weeks later and then another two weeks to the Australian Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) at Randwick,” Noble said.

“That’s not set in concrete yet and we are looking at our options, but Friday is very doubtful and the forecast even for next week isn’t that good.”

Polygon won the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) two runs back at Te Rapa and returned there to claim the Gr.2 Royal Stakes (2000m), which provided unexpected encouragement that the filly could perform at the Classic distance.

“I didn’t nominate her early on for the New Zealand Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) because she didn’t look like a stayer,” Noble said.

“I was doubtful that she would go 2000m, but she ran it out strongly on New Year’s Day and (rider) Michael McNab said she took an age to pull up. She is one that has definitely surprised us.”

Polygon will be the only runner from the stable to head to Australia should the trip go ahead with the progressive mare Aquacade to chase higher honours at home.

“You could say she could go over as well for the Sydney Cup (Gr.1, 3200m), but I think she is a year away and she hasn’t had many starts,” Noble said.

Also bred and raced by Cambridge Stud, the Dundeel mare has won four of her 10 appearances and last time out at Te Rapa the four-year-old produced a strong staying performance to triumph in the Dunstan Feeds Stayers’ Championship Final (2400m).

“Aquacade will run in the open 2100m at Tauranga on Sunday as a lead-up to the Avondale Cup (Gr.2, 2400m) and then hopefully the Auckland Cup (Gr.2, 3200m),” Noble said. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Zoustar 6YO Stepping up to 2000m
Pre-post favourite Habana will head into unfamiliar territory at Ellerslie, but there is confidence in his camp that it will be a smooth transition.
Will it be a fairytale finish for Tasmanian-bred mare The Map?
Fresh from sweeping the sire awards at the 2024 Tasmanian Racing Awards this season, the Armidale Stud team is in line for another significant achievement with The Map (Alpine Eagle x This Moment) flying the flag for resident stallion Alpine Eagle in the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup on Tuesday 5 November.
Kiwi Longshot Hope for Cup
Grant Cooksley came tantalisingly close to getting his hands on the Melbourne Cup as a jockey, and he is hoping to rectify that on Tuesday as a trainer when he lines-up Trust In You in the two-mile feature.
Te Akau Chasing Another Cup Day Success
Last year’s Melbourne Cup Day concluded in success for Mark Walker in the Gr.3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m), a race he will chase back-to-back crowns in on Tuesday with Kiwi mare Quintessa.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
Two heats at the Rosehill trials on Monday morning over 900m and the quickest of those was won by an expensive son of Golden Slipper winning first season sire Farnan.
Cambridge Stud Homebred Polygon Wins G2 Royal Stakes
A powerful late sprint carried progressive filly Polygon to an impressive victory at Te Rapa on Sunday when she destroyed her rivals in to take the Gr.2 Elsdon Park Royal Stakes (2000m).
Antrim Coast to Fly Flag for The Oaks Stud
The well-renowned colours of The Oaks Stud will feature across two feature Trans-Tasman meetings this week, kicking off with Antrim Coast lining up in the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.
Bellatrix Star May Back Up in G1 Champions Sprint
Te Akau and Fortuna Racing’s filly Bellatrix Star proved she is among Australia’s top sprinting three-year-olds last Saturday at Flemington, finishing second in the A$2 million Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).
Cambridge Stud Homebred Filly Polygon Wins G3 Eulogy Stakes
Lightly raced three-year-old Polygon took the step up to stakes company in her stride as she dashed home to take out the feature race at Te Rapa on Saturday, the Gr.3 Lawnmaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m).
Cambridge Stud Owned Filly to Run at Kembla
Trainer Lance Noble is in for a busy 24-hours this weekend.