Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson will present nearly a third of the field in Saturday’s Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), vying for a seventh title in the last eight years with their all-conquering juveniles.

Te Akau’s glamour girl Melody Belle commenced their string of dominance in the $550,000 feature back in 2017, with the likes of Avantage and On The Bubbles taking the crown in the following years. Each of that trio also were victorious in the $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), a feat completed this year by Sires’ Produce favourite La Dorada.

The Super Seth filly backed up her Millions performance swiftly when taking out the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), and as a leading hope in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) earlier this month, she was ruled out on race morning with a spiked temperature.

On the back foot, Walker and Bergerson have taken an alternative route with La Dorada but are confident she is ready to take on the elite-level feature at Trentham.

“We’re playing a bit of catch up now, she’s had two exhibition gallops at Tauranga and again at Matamata last Sunday to keep her up to the mark,” Bergerson said.

“She’s had a bit of time between runs and up to 1400m is the query, but she’s very bright and well at home now. Thankfully, she bounced through that spiked temperature after a couple of days and we think we’ve got her on track.”

La Dorada is the current market leader at $2.50, with her less-experienced stablemate Hostility the next of the tangerine hopes at $10.

A royally-bred son of I Am Invincible, Hostility was the record-breaking $1.65 million purchase at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready To Run Sale and he narrowly missed securing a winning debut, going down to race-rival Tajana at Matamata.

“I was proud of his effort, gutted he didn’t win but the winner is a pretty nice horse and it’s a good form line heading into Saturday,” Bergerson said.

“He’s gone the right way since his debut, we think he’ll take good improvement from the raceday experience and he galloped on the rail before scratching time at Matamata on Sunday with Born To Be Royal and his work was really strong.

“Gryllsy (Craig Grylls) has ridden him in all of his jump-outs at home, trials and at the races, so he knows him very well. I’m pleased to see him draw well so he should map to get a good run.

“He’s obviously got the least experience of the field, but we think he’s talented enough to be a strong each-way chance.”

Born To Be Royal is another lightly-tried contender, having her third appearance after placing behind La Dorada in the Matamata Breeders.

“She’s a really nice filly and a real talent going forward,” Bergerson said.

“She doesn’t carry a lot of condition which is why we haven’t gone to the races again following the Matamata Breeders, but she’s a real horse for the future and we think the big, roomy track at Trentham will really suit her, as well as the step up to 1400m.

“She’s another good each-way chance.”

Completing the tangerine quartet will be To Bravery Born, who placed third in the Gr.2 Matamata Slipper (1200m) and bypassed the Sistema to enter Saturday’s contest in a fresh state.

“When he won at Ellerslie before the Karaka Million, he was very fresh without a lead-up race or a trial, and that’s probably the best race he’s ever gone,” Bergerson said.

“We thought the key was to keep him really fresh into Saturday, which we’ve done. He’s done very well at home, with the same schedule as La Dorada with the two exhibition gallops.

“He probably needs to improve off the Slipper effort, but he’s very bright at home and we can’t fault him. He’s got good raceday experience and I’m looking forward to Saturday with him as well.”

Having a number of horses in a Group One is nothing new to Walker and Bergerson, with a different route suiting each individual.

“They’re all coming from different form-lines and race schedules, we try to tailor it to the individual in what we think will be the best way to get them there and performing at 110 percent,” Bergerson said.

“Our hand was forced with La Dorada missing the Sistema and we would’ve loved to get another run into Hostility, but we’re pleased with all four of their chances and we think they are going there in tip-top order.”

The stable will be represented in each of the other three stakes races on the Trentham card, firstly with Shockabella in the Gr.3 Higgins Concrete Manawatu Classic (2100m). A talented type, she was late-scratched after being fractious in the gates in the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m), something Bergerson hopes they have got on top of in the interim.

“It was extremely frustrating, that was a really good chance at black-type for her but thankfully, both her and Blake (Shinn, jockey) were unscathed,” he said.

“We had to go back to the trials and we’ve adjusted her barrier gear from a blanket to a blindfold, she’s done plenty of remedial work so fingers crossed she’s on her best behaviour there on Saturday.

“I thought her win at Taupo was really good and she’s trained on well from the trial, drawn one with Sam Spratt on hopefully means she can be positive on her. As long as she does everything right, she should be a nice each-way chance.

“It depends how she runs, and there is the Championship Stakes (Gr.3, 2100m) in a couple of weeks, but she’ll have to perform well to go against the boys again.”

Group One performer Talisker will take his place in the Listed Bramco Granite and Marble Flying Handicap (1400m), off the back of a fifth placing under the topweight at Taupo last-start.

“He was probably a little bit disappointing there, we elected to go forward on him and he was taken on, we think he’s possibly not trying as hard when he’s going to the front,” Bergerson said.

“We’re going to try to ride him a bit colder as he did at Taranaki when he won that day, and we’ve dropped down to a visor blinker as well.

“He’s a very talented galloper on his day, he’s got good form-lines throughout his career and he’s performed at the top level before. I’m looking forward to Saturday with him and just riding him that bit colder so he can get over the top of them.

“It’s come up a pretty even race, but he’s a strong lightweight chance.”

The Gr.2 City Of Palmerston North Awapuni Gold Cup (2100m) will feature both What You Wish For and Midnight Blue, with the former having a Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) success to his name two starts back before a creditable effort for fifth in the Gr.2 Japan Trophy (1600m).

“We tried to keep him nice and fresh for the mile but this was always the race we earmarked following the Kaimai,” Bergerson said. “Back up to 2100m we think suits, set weights and penalties is also nice and he’s got a soft gate with Michael McNab aboard.

“He ticks a lot of boxes, but it is a very good field with Waitak and Whangaehu in there who have been performing very well. He probably needs to lift again, but he’s in good form and has been racing really well this time around.”

Midnight Blue has been figuring in the finish in the feature Cups races before finding the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) a touch sharp last-start. 

“It was probably too hot a field for him there last time, but he’s come through it really well and he’s in good form,” Bergerson said.

“The old boy, he’s enjoying the New Zealand lifestyle and he’s bright and happy. The set weights and penalties suits him too on 55.5kg, he was pretty stiff in the Avondale Cup and Ryan (Elliot) felt he would’ve been the winner without that chequered run.

“He was good at New Plymouth too after being slow away, so he’s racing well and just missing that elusive win.”