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Slice Of Class already has immense value as a future broodmare but Otaki trainer Karen Zimmerman is hoping to further embellish her worth in the coming months.
The six-year-old Guillotine mare visited Westbury Stud stallion Makfi after her narrow defeat in last month's Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders' Stakes (1400m) at Hawera and has since had a positive scan.
That means her current preparation will be her last and Zimmerman is hoping to optimise her upcoming opportunities."She's got until the end of January and we'll try and stick to stakes racing for her before then," Zimmerman said.
"A lot depends on whether we stay at 1400m or get her back up over a mile. If she's showing she wants 1600m, then the Thorndon Mile might be her last start."Slice Of Class produced one of her best performances when she finished fourth to multiple Group One winners Puccini and Soriano in the 2015 Gr.1 Thorndon Mile at Trentham, though her most important win was her Gr.3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes win at Riccarton two starts earlier.
A winner of four of her 25 starts, Slice Of Class won a trial at Otaki last week in preparation for Saturday's Gr.2 NRM Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe."She's thriving. She did more work than the winner Underthemoonlight at Hawera last time. She came wide, whereas the winner made her run closer in and there was only half a neck between them at the line," Zimmerman said.
"She had a week at the stud after that but she won a trial last week at Otaki and as long as we get the right trip, she can be right in it on Saturday."She gets back but that's the only way to ride her. You can't ride her handy because then she doesn't round her race out.
"Let's just hope the track doesn't get too wet. She doesn't mind it wet - in fact that might help her more than some of the others - but she doesn't want it too heavy."The Pukekohe track was rated a Dead 6 on Friday morning.
Safely through Saturday’s race, Slice Of Class will either tackle the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa on December 10 or the Listed Kamada Park Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni a week later.