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Matamata trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall are on weather watch as they prepare to shoot for $650,000 in prizemoney across a pair of Group races this weekend.
They will saddle emerging mare Snazzytavi in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Te Rapa on Saturday, followed by proven star Bonny Lass in Sunday's Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m) at Rotorua.
On Friday morning, Te Rapa was rated a Soft 7 and Rotorua a Heavy8, and Richardson has been keeping a cautious eye on the skies.
"Track conditions and weather patterns are a bit of an issue for a few runners this weekend, ourselves included," Richardson said. "It's hard to know what the weather's going to do. If those showers stay away and the tracks come back a little bit, that will be a big help for both of our mares."
The Livamol Classic will be the biggest test of an exciting career for Snazzytavi. The daughter of Tavistock has won six times from 12 starts in the colours of Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay, headed by the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Te Rapa in April.
Snazzytavi boasts a perfect three-from-three record at the Hamilton course, including a dominant last-start victory in a 1600m open handicap there on September 27.
"The fact that she's had three starts at the track for three good wins is pretty exciting," Richardson said. "It definitely seems to be a course that suits her, so even though it's sad that this meeting has been moved away from Hastings, it could be a bit of an advantage for us."
Snazzytavi will be ridden by Warren Kennedy in Saturday's $550,000 showpiece, and the TAB rates her a $6.50 third favourite behind Campionessa ($4.50) and One Bold Cat ($5).
"I'm very happy with the horse," Richardson said. "Obviously it's a pretty strong field on Saturday, and track conditions are a query. I think she'll be fine if it comes back into that soft range, but anything worse than that would be a concern.
"Getting up over a bit more ground is a bit of unknown territory as well. She has done it successfully before (winning a 2000m Rating 75 at Matamata in February), but this is earlier in the season and against a high class of opposition. We're very hopeful, but it's a bit of a case of wait and see."
Bonny Lass has well and truly proven herself against elite opposition, winning Group races at the ages of two, three, four, five and six. She broke through for her first Group One win in the BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa in February, and returned there in August for a similarly impressive victory in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m).
In her only start since then, the Super Easy mare finished sixth in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings. Richardson was not disappointed with that performance and has been pleased with the mare in her build-up to Sunday's Sweynesse Stakes – a race she won in 2022.
"They just went a little bit hard early in the Tarzino," he said. "It didn't turn out the best for her, but I didn't think it was too bad a run under the circumstances.
"She pulled up very well after that race and enjoyed a week or so out in the paddock. She's been looking good since coming back into work.
"She won this race a couple of years ago, so we know she gets around Rotorua well. She's very tough and I'm sure she'll be competitive again.
"Hopefully she'll be able to get through the track conditions okay. Apart from that, we're very happy with her and everything is good.
"We want to get her through to races like the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m) and Railway (Gr.1, 1200m), where she hasn't had a lot of luck in the past. After that, she might even end up in Brisbane. That might be a trip for the connections to look forward to next year."
