Racing: Trainer Stephen Autridge wants Needle And Thread to ask questions of NZ Oaks favourite Amarelinha
17 Mar, 2021 07:30 AM
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Needle And Thread, winning the Group 2 Royal Stakes at Ellerslie in January, will challenge Amarelinha. Photo / Trish Dunell
NZ Herald
Trainer Stephen Autridge wants his high class filly Needle And Thread to ask questions of NZ Oaks favourite Amarelinha.
And the most obvious of those questions is: can you stay?
Autridge and training partner Kris Shailer prepare the $6.50 second favourite for the $400,000 classic at Trentham on Saturday for which Amarelinha has opened the $1.55 elect.
Amarelinha has beaten Needle And Thread both times they have met, thrashing her in the Ellis Classic at Te Rapa last month but only just nosing her out in the Sunline Vase at Ellerslie 11 days ago.
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In a titanic tussle that lived up to the pre-race hype, Aegon kept his perfect record intact with a thrilling win over Amarelinha in Saturday’s Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie.
Although the million-dollar race attracted a full field of 17 three-year-olds, the build-up was completely dominated by two horses.
One was Aegon, whose three-from-three record included the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton and the Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Hastings.
The other was Amarelinha, a stunning last-start winner of the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) over the same course and distance as the Karaka Million 3YO Classic.