Exciting three-year-old Sacred Satono is taking on some of the country’s top older sprinters at Pukekohe on Saturday as he looks to put a minor setback behind him.

Sacred Satono is set to have his first start in eight weeks in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m), where he could face smart sprinters such as Babylon Berlin, Bonny Lass, Sassy Merlot, and Letzbeglam.

If all had gone to plan, Sacred Satono would have been at Riccarton two weekends ago in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m). His form suggests he would have been very competitive – at his most recent start he scored by a length at Ruakaka from subsequent narrow 2000 Guineas runner-up Desert Lightning, admittedly while in receipt of a 3kg apprentice claim.

He was set to contest the Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m) at Te Rapa on October 22 as his final lead-up, but co-trainer Grant Cooksley had to withdraw the colt from the race and reset his targets for the season.

“He got a skin disease in the days before Te Rapa,” Cooksley said.

“There was a bit of it going round here at the time – it’s just something they can get at this time of year as the weather changes, and it was going away and coming back.

“He would have gone quite well in that race, but these things happen. We’re just going to forget about that and concentrate on later on.”

Cooksley, who trains with Bruce Wallace at Byerley Park, near Karaka, has since given Sacred Satono a trial at Matamata on November 3, at which the colt cruised along quietly for third, and he expects the colt to run well.

“He’s come through the trial quite nicely. There’s a few good horses there but he should go a nice race,” he said.

“After that he’ll probably step up to 1400m and go back to the three-year-olds.”

Expat South African jockey Craig Zackey, who won the Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) last week aboard Demonetization, will ride Sacred Satono in the Counties Bowl.

Sacred Satono was a $34,000 purchase from the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale and is eligible for the Karaka Million Three-Year-Old Classic (1600m) at Pukekohe on January 21, which Cooksley said would be his main summer target.

The Cooksley-Wallace stable has nominated five other horses for Pukekohe on Saturday, though only the maiden Coppers looks certain to get a start.

Coppers has finished just behind the placegetters at most of his starts, the most recent being when fifth at Pukekohe in a 1400m maiden three-year-old contest on November 1.

“That last run over 1400m was his first race for 3-1/2 months and I’m bringing him back to 1200m for this race. He’s improved on his last run and he should be there somewhere.”

Magawa, who was fourth when resuming at Pukekohe on November 1, is nominated for a Rating 65 1200m contest but is 18th in order of entry in a field limited to 14 and will require some withdrawals in order to get a start.

“He’s quite a big horse and another six months will do him good, but he’s doing well at the moment.”

The team has also nominated three for a Rating 65 1600m contest – Me Liberez, Trust In You, and Yes We Khan – but none are ranked higher than 25th in order of entry for the race and will most likely start only if it is decided to run two races given the number of entries.

Meanwhile, Cooksley said the stable’s leading older horse Gino Severini is ticking over nicely after finishing fourth at Te Rapa on October 22.

The winner of last season’s Gr.2 Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga is likely to race next at Te Rapa in the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) on November 26.