Mare Chasing Ticket To Melbourne Spring Carnival

Fanatic will book her passage to Australia if she races up to expectations at Hawke’s Bay on Saturday.

She hasn’t been a player on either of the first two days at Hastings, but trainers Graeme Sanders and Debbie Sweeney have always had eyes for the Gr.1 Livamol Classic.

“This is the one we have set her for,” Sweeney said. “She is really well, we’re very happy and the only question mark will be the track.

“We’ve got to be positive and anything up to a Dead 6 would be okay, but maybe not any worse.”

The winner on protest of last season’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks, Fanatic resumed on the opening day of the Hawke’s Bay carnival and finished a satisfactory sixth over 1400 metres. She was then considered an unlucky runner when ninth behind Kawi in the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate.

“We’ve been quite happy with her over the shorter trips and on the second day she couldn’t get a crack at them when she was stuck back on the rail,” Sweeney said.

“Mark (Hills) came over and rode her in a gallop on Tuesday morning and she was really good.”

A bold showing from Fanatic in the Livamol Classic will see her head across the Tasman, although her programme there has yet to be confirmed.

“Everything is up in the air until after Saturday,” Sweeney said. “She’s down the order a bit for the Caulfield Cup, but we could be looking at a race like the Geelong Cup.”

Fanatic is currently equal 30th in order of entry to the $A3 million Gr.1 Caulfield Cup on October 15.

“There are a lot of staying options over there outside of the big cups,” Sweeney said.

– NZ Racing Desk

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