Six-win mare Gemma Flitz will resume at Riccarton on Wednesday where she will be seeking to take out the C S Stevens Memorial Banks Peninsula Cup (1100m) for local trainer Ross Beckett.

She was a model of consistency last year, winning three and placing in three of her six starts, highlighted by her victory in the $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1200m) on the Riccarton Synthetic in August.

Beckett is looking forward to kicking off her preparation this week, but is wary of the wet weather forecast ahead of the midweek meeting.

“She has done a great job, she is very honest,” Beckett said. “She has come back from a spell and hopefully we don’t get too much rain, she needs a firm track.”

While hopeful of a bold showing first-up, Beckett is hoping she has bigger fish to fry, with the Yaldhurst horseman eyeing black-type with the seven-year-old mare.

“We will just get through this race and then try to find a nice race for her,” he said. “Getting black-type is something I would love to do with her, it would help her out as a broodmare.”

Beckett is also upbeat about the prospects of stablemate Pogacar if he can bring his manners ahead of the TAB Southern Alps Golden Ticket Race (1400m).

The four-year-old son of Eminent has shown a fair amount of ability, winning two and runner-up in two of his six starts to date, but Beckett said he lets himself down with his manners behind the starting gate.

“He has been scratched two or three times (because he’s refused to load), so we have got a fair bit of headgear on him, which is just to give him a bit of confidence going into those gates,” Beckett said.

“He will be a better horse without the headgear but we need to get him going into those gates and doing things properly.

“The boys around at the start are getting to know him now and what we have to do to get him in, so we will take another step I hope.”

Meanwhile, stablemates Wanderin Spelle and Grouse will be first-up in the GM Accounting and Consulting (1200m) and Stuart Racing Maiden (1200m) respectively, while Pearl Opulence will make her stable debut in the Tim Dyer – Bayleys Real Estate (2000m).

“Wanderin Spelle’s wide draw (14) won’t help,” Beckett said. “I wanted to give him a run, he will be better over 1400m or a mile. I don’t mind the horse.

“Grouse wouldn’t be out of it, she won a trial the other day. Her work is on the improve every week and she will still be better with the run under her belt.

“It will be the first start I have given her (Pearl Opulence), she has come from Lance (Robinson). She has done a lot of work so we will sit back and see how she goes.”

Beckett’s team will be rounded out by Canterbury Flight, who will be seeking to improve on her last-start runner-up result, but will have to overcome her wide draw in the Join Canterbury Westland Owners Association Now Maiden (1600m).

“She went really well last start,” Beckett said. “She has drawn 15, so we will most likely get back again and will just have to ride her for a bit of luck.”