Weight Relief Shapes New Path for Lara

A difficult introduction to Australian racing has prompted Te Akau to alter the spring program of Gr1-winning filly Lara Antipova, with trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson now favouring a Flemington assignment designed to provide more favourable weight conditions. Previously unbeaten through four New Zealand appearances, the daughter of Russian Revolution suffered her first defeat when ninth in last Saturday's Gr3 Quezette Stakes over 1100 metres at Caulfield, where circumstances conspired against her during a demanding Australian debut. Carrying 59kg despite being a relatively small filly, she was forced three and four wide before encountering further interference late, while reports racingnews.co.nz, a subsequent veterinary examination revealed Grade 2 mucus despite her having scoped clean following trackwork earlier in the week. "She had to carry 59 kilos, and she is not the biggest of fillies, and she didn't get many favours in the running either," Walker said. The stable had originally intended progressing to the Gr2 Thousand Guineas Prelude over 1400 metres at Caulfield on September 19, but Lara Antipova will instead head to Flemington seven days earlier for the newly introduced Listed Michael Moroney over the same distance. Set weights and penalties, coupled with the two-kilogram allowance afforded to fillies, will see her carry 57.5kg and provide connections with an opportunity to reassess her Australian prospects under more suitable conditions. A strong performance could then propel her towards the Gr2 Bill Stutt Stakes over 1600 metres, where a return to set-weights racing would again favour the New Zealand visitor. Lara Antipova earned her Australian opportunity after sweeping through her juvenile campaign at home, culminating in victory in the Gr1 Sistema Stakes over 1200 metres, and her Caulfield defeat has done little to diminish the stable's belief that she can measure up across the Tasman. Meanwhile, Te Akau's New Zealand operation has a quieter weekend ahead, with Born To Be Royal its sole raceday representative at Te Rapa. The four-year-old daughter of King's Legacy, previously placed in both the Gr2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes and Gr2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes, has completed two trials ahead of her seasonal return but is expected to improve considerably with racing after a difficult winter preparation. Group performers Qali Al Farrasha, Talisker and Egyptian Queen, together with stakes performer She Suits Herself, will also appear at Te Rapa in a Group and Listed 1050-metre trial. For Lara Antipova, however, the focus has shifted firmly towards Flemington, where reduced weight and a longer journey should provide a much clearer indication of whether her dominant New Zealand juvenile form can translate into an Australian spring campaign.

Star New Zealand filly Lara Antipova (pic: Kenton Wright Race Images)