Summer Six

Three-year-old's feature in this years Summer Six. Our three-year-old male and female ranks look to have genuine depth this season and any number could have made the cut. Once again the focus is not necessarily on the established pattern horses but rather on those who have signalled they can take the step to better company. Here is the select field and for those of you who like your ante post betting, many of these selections are currently at attractive odds for some of the cups and classics.

Green Supreme: Looks to have recaptured the form he showed here in the spring of his three-year-old year when he ran a fast finishing third to Eileen Dubh in the Group One Levin Classic. In fact he was well in the Derby market but departed for Hong Kong where he failed to show any form in two light campaigns. Yet to race further than 1600m but his fast finishing style looks suited to at least 2000m and the son of Oasis Dream is a genuine lightweight chance for the big cups if he can run the trip. For a out and out sprinter himself and being a son of Green Desert, Oasis Dream has been something of a revelation with the number of high class middle distance performers he has left. With Rainbow Quest as his dam sire, Green Supreme's pedigree is unlikely to stop him running a strong middle distance.

Nashville: Another promising type from the first crop of Darci Brahma. Backed up a win on debut at Riccarton during Cup week with a second to the promising Jerico at Trentham on Captain Cook Stakes Day. His Trentham run was full of merit: he got back and pulled due to the lack of early pace, then mounted a wide run from the 600m and despite running greenly in the home straight, was still finding the line strongly at the end of the 1400m event. Stable has a good record of producing quality runners from limited representation and they have knocked back big overseas offers for Nashville to chase races like the Derby.

Lady Kipling: Always a good looking type and more strongly made than many of the stock of her sire, she has come back at four looking even more robust and raced accordingly. To her credit she looked extremely talented last season but often spoilt her chances by being very tardy from the gates. Stable has obviously worked hard to rectify that problem and this season she is getting away on terms. The field she beat to win the Cal Isuzu was of genuine group two standard and the form from it should hold-up strongly over the summer. Had genuine excuses for three failures at 2000m last season and with her style of racing and maturity, looks well capable of playing a leading role in the weight for age 2000m races throughout the summer months.

Ocean Park: Boxing Day's Group Two Great Northern Guineas looks set to be a cracking contest, featuring many of the pretenders to the mantle of our leading three-year male, and while the lightly raced Ocean Park will give away experience to many of his fellow runners, don't be surprised to see the son of Thorn Park extremely competitive against the likes of Burgandy and co. Connections have indicated he may leave for Hong Kong before the Derby but the odds of 21 to 1 are still tempting.

Pero: Well related four-year-old son of Storming Home whose patient handling is starting to pay dividends. 1.35 is rarely broken for 1600m at New Plymouth yet Pero did it easily earlier this month at his first start since a successful Christchurch trip for the Cup Carnival. Although he has won well in good times at 1400 and 1600m, he has always raced as if staying would be his forte, galloping with a real stayers stride and a low head carriage. From a stable that trained the high class stayers Mr Brooker and Aerosmith, Pero has the right credentials to make into a very exciting staying prospect.

Silent Achiever: Has a similar profile to another O'Reilly filly Annie Higgins, who last season only started racing just prior to Xmas in rating races but who became highly competitive in stakes company by Xmas with her strong finishing style. Silent Achiever hinted she was well above average, when she stormed home to run second on debut at Te Aroha. That performance saw her start a very warm favourite for her latest start, a 1600m maiden contest at Ellerslie last week which she won on her ear. Just a medium sized filly, typical of many of the better O'Reilly females, Silent Achiever's ability to really sprint when asked will hold her in good stead for her step to age group racing.

Best of luck.