Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images)
Rangiotu mare Girl Talk (NZ) (Zed) has been a model of consistency this season for trainer Stephen Nickalls and earned a tilt at black type with a deserved win over a mile at Wanganui last month.
She will return to the venue on Easter Monday to contest the Gr.3 Windsor Park Stud Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2040m), for which she is a $5 third favourite with TAB bookmakers in a market headed by Who Knows ($2.80) and Monologue ($4).
It will be the daughter of Zed’s first crack at stakes level as a four-year-old, having finished fifth and 14th respectively in the Gr.2 Lowland Stakes (2100m) and Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) last season.
“As the old saying goes, they are only three once, so you have a crack at those races while they are three-year-olds,” Nickalls said. “It was her first prep and she ran fifth in the Lowland at Trentham and the Oaks was probably a step too far, she had come to the end of the prep at that stage.
“She got home and slept in the paddock for three weeks after that and she came back in and she has done everything right.”
Girl Talk broke through for her maiden win at Waverley in October and went on to win her next two starts over a mile. She placed in the Douro Cup (1600m) in January and was an unlucky sixth in the $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1500m) before returning to winning form last start.
“That was a super win and her starts prior to that were very good,” Nickalls said. “She was unlucky in the Karapiro Classic behind some very nice horses. She has run third behind Afternoon Siesta at Wellington, so that is pretty good form, she was Group One placed last start.
“She is really happy, she has bounced through that race well and she had a really good hit-out on the course proper (at Foxton) before the first set of trials last Tuesday and felt great.
“She is doing everything right, so we can’t fault her on that score. I went to give her a hack around the farm on Friday and I had to get off halfway through because all she wanted to do was buck and play. I can’t fault her, she is feeling fantastic.”
Girl Talk has drawn barrier one and will be ridden by Samantha Collett.
“She drew one at Wanganui and they all started to come wide. It just depends on how Wanganui plays on whether it (draw) is a good thing or bad thing,” Nickalls said.
While Girl Talk has been up for a long time, Nickalls said he will wait to see how she comes through Monday’s run before making any further plans.
“We have got no real plans, she will tell us,” he said. “She will come home and have a week in the paddock most likely and if she is bucking and playing around she will carry on and if she is not than she can have a holiday. We will play it by ear and see how she comes through Monday.”
Meanwhile, stablemate Iffigive (NZ) (Contributer) is enjoying time in the spelling paddock following her fifth placing in the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2100m) at Trentham last week.
While still a maiden, the daughter of Contributer has performed with distinction right up to elite-level this preparation and Nickalls is looking forward to her returning in the spring.
“She knew she had a run so she is in the paddock, she is having a holiday,” Nickalls said.
“It was a super run against the pattern of the day down there. She got out to the middle of the track and they said it was like running on quicksand. She has run home really nicely, she is a lovely filly.
“She has had nine starts as a three-year-old and made the stipes reports seven times. She has had no luck most of the time, she is as honest as the day is long and I am sure it won’t take her long to pick one up as a four-year-old."
