McKenzie has stable on a roll

Levin owner-trainer Peter McKenzie is rarely out of the news with his winter gallopers, and he has a couple more promising types ready to make an impact in the new season.

The rising 4-year-old Metrical impressed winning the 1200-metre maiden trial at Otaki yesterday, winning by only a half-length from his unnamed 3-year-old stablemate by His Royal Highness from Regal Tris.

Metrical had finished fifth in his lone race before the trial and it follows that he will be joining Caught Out and Conchord in the winners' circle before long.

A two-year-old by His Royal Highness from Regal Tris finished second in a heat (1000m) behind an impressive Ishiguru filly from Southern Daughter trained by Kevin Myers at Wanganui.

Myers also paraded Descadara to finish third behind Lisa Latta's French Deputy filly from imported mare Going To Extremes, with Superturf, trained by Greg Lambert, a good second.

Awapuni's Gary Vile had two winners, a 2-year-old by Bertolini from Our Barbarella, and Queen's Lace, a rising 5-year-old in the maiden 800m. Both horses were ridden by Robert Hannam.

One of the more impressive winners on the day was Nowucia, an Elusive City filly from Cia, the latter being the winner of five races and 15 placings from her 37 starts.

Trainer Karen Zimmerman bought her specifically for 3-year-old fillies' races, but "she was very slow maturing" and is only now becoming something of the racehorse we were expecting 12 months ago" said Zimmerman.

In the 1000-metre trial, Nowucia had no trouble holding out Andrew Campbell's Theruler, with Tachina a distant third.

- © Fairfax NZ News