There are few maidens more well credentialled than 3-year-old Tupakara (Trapeze Artist), who heads into Saturday’s G2 Tea Rose Stakes a maiden from seven starts – but critically, with four placings at stakes level, including third in the G1 Champagne Stakes in the autumn, and two fourth-placed efforts in Group company.
The Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained filly was second in the G2 Furious Stakes at her last start to Apocalyptic (Extreme Choice), who takes the number one saddlecloth in the Tea Rose, with Tupakara settling for second. Her performances to date have earned her a benchmark rating of 96 – not bad for a filly with no win to her name yet.
Saturday could be just the occasion to tick that box; Tupakara only faces a field of 10, five of whom she beat last start, and Annabel Archibald has made a critical gear change in the hopes of having the filly at her best.
“She is a lovely, honest horse,” Archibald said. “When you’ve got JMac on, it helps, and we’ve added the blinkers as well. She was a bit on and off the bridle the other day (in the Furious), and we were umming and ahhing whether to go winkers or blinkers or save them for the mile (in the Flight Stakes).
“But James came and galloped her on Tuesday and we put them (blinkers) on and she worked really well in them, so we’ve put them on.”
Archibald has three runners in the race – she also trains Kujenga (King’s Legacy) and Next Jen (Ole Kirk) – and tips Tupakara to be the obvious winner from her entrants. A better barrier, jumping from three this time instead of 10, should increase her chances.
“She (Tupakara) was the one that drew poorly and beat all bar one last start, so she is probably the obvious horse (to win),” Archibald said. And if Saturday doesn’t go to plan? Archibald expects improvement again when the filly steps up to the mile in the G1 Flight Stakes at her intended next start.
Story from The Thoroughbred Report
