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Fortaleza is back in work to begin her quest for a major southern prize.
The Michael Moroney and Pam Gerard-prepared rising three-year-old made only two appearances this season, but she showed enough for her trainers to set a Group One target in the new term.
“We’ve always had a very high opinion of her,” Ballymore Stables racing manager Nick Fairweather said.“We will be looking at a New Zealand 1000 Guineas programme for her and first she will go to the Te Teko trials on August 2.
“She could then head to the Gold Trail Stakes or she could go straight to the South Island, a lot of her owners are down there, for a lead-up race like the Canterbury Belle Stakes.”Fortaleza was unbeaten in both her trials before she finished third on debut last spring behind Tennessee in the Listed Wellesley Stakes at Trentham.
The daughter of Darci Brahma then had no luck when unplaced at Tauranga where she lost a front plate in running.Also back in the stable following a spell is Ali Baba, who measured up well against the better three-year-olds earlier in the season.
“He had an extended break and he’ll be taken along quietly and be aimed at some feature races in the late spring and early summer,” Fairweather said.Ali Baba has won one of his starts and finished a close fourth in the Gr.2 Sarten Memorial and a creditable eighth in the Gr.1 NZ 2000 Guineas before he failed over ground at Group Two level in the Waikato and Avondale Guineas.
“He didn’t see out anything beyond 2000 metres so he’ll stick to 1400 metres and a mile this time,” Fairweather said.