Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta will have a two-pronged attack at Doomben this weekend, headed by Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner Platinum Invador.

The seven-year-old gelding will contest the Gr.3 Chairman’s Handicap (2000m), while stablemate Nod Of The Head will line-up in a Benchmark 80 Handicap (1350m).

“We always had this in mind for Platinum Invador with the Brisbane Cup (Gr.2, 3200m) to be his final run of the season, while Nod Of The Head hasn’t had all favours this campaign,” Latta said.

“He was unlucky at Hastings (when third) four weeks ago and he doesn’t like really heavy tracks and there is nothing here for him and he is still really on his way up.”

Apprentice Jaden Lloyd will ride Nod Of The Head, who clashes with Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) runner-up Meritable, who steps out for the Annabel Neasham stable for the first time after a long layoff, having transferred from Andrew Forsman.

Latta, who is basing her travelling duo at the Sunshine Coast, said she had derived great satisfaction out of seeing Platinum Invador return to his best, with the son of Redwood returning from a tendon injury suffered in mid-2021 when campaigning in Queensland for Barry Lockwood.

“It took a long time to bring him up. We brought him up quietly, he needed the runs and he took a lot longer to come up fitness wise,” Latta said.

“Leading into the Auckland Cup he was basically working twice a day. He was swimming in the afternoons.

“He will run on Saturday in the Chairman’s and then the Premier’s Cup (Gr.3, 2400m) on May 27 and then into the Brisbane Cup (Gr.2, 3200m) on June 10.”

Platinum Invador has finished fourth in both the Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2000m) and the Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) since his Auckland Cup triumph, but the Manawatu horsewoman is looking forward to seeing him on a better surface.

“It will just be good to see him back on a decent track,” she said. “We didn’t get a line on him at all at Riccarton. The last two runs have been on wet tracks and we put the blinkers on to sharpen him up and we really haven’t got a line on him at all.”

Closer to home, Latta is hoping to be represented by Lurid in the Listed Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m), with the last start 13-length winner second on the ballot.

“If he gets in, he will definitely run,” Latta said. “He likes a wet track and he gets in with a light weight (53kgs).”

Latta also has plenty of time for five-year-old mare Chikira Lass, who is entered for the Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m), having finished runner-up in the Listed ANZAC Mile (1600m) last start.

“The field is probably quite strong, but she deserves her chance and I thought she went great last start,” Latta said.

With 40 wins to her credit, Latta sits fourth on the New Zealand Trainers’ Premiership. More importantly she has 10 Group or Listed winners to her name this season, the second-most in New Zealand behind Mark Walker (34).

He’s A Doozy, Belclare and Pignan all boast Group One victories for the Awapuni trainer this season. 

“I have got great staff and certainly I attribute a lot of the success to that and obviously fantastic clients as well,” Latta said.

“You get huge satisfaction out of buying horses at the sales and seeing them progress to stakes level and also seeing the success of our clients. 

“David Woodhouse, who bred and races Belclare has bred or raced horses for 50-odd years and that was his first Group One winner (NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes, 1600m) and Dave Monnery, Christian Cullen and Andy (Rennie) with Pignan, that was their first Group One winner (Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce, 1400m).

“You do get a lot of satisfaction out of that and definitely Platinum invador winning the Auckland Cup was a huge thrill too.”