Well-bred filly Love Poem will take on some of the best of her generation for the second time in a week when she lines up in Saturday’s Gr.1 Barneswood Farm 52nd New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.
The daughter of Snitzel is backing up from last Saturday's Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), in which she ran a gallant second behind standout colt Savaglee.
"I thought it was a brilliant run," trainer Stephen Marsh said. "She was just beaten by the season's benchmark three-year-old. We went up and had a look at him in the straight, but he just kept finding and won very well in the end. He's obviously an exciting colt.
"But hey, we've got a beautifully bred Snitzel filly who's a multiple stakes placegetter, and that now includes a second in a Group One. That's a great outcome."
Racing in the colours of Lib Petagna's JML Bloodstock, Love Poem was bought by Bruce Perry for A$280,000 as a yearling in Sydney last year. She is a half-sister to the classy Ciaron Maher-trained mare Estriella, whose 12-start career has so far produced five wins headed by last month's Gr.2 Caulfield Sprint (1000m). Their dam, the Lonhro mare Madrigals, is a full-sister to multiple Group One winner and quality sire Pierro.
Love Poem has herself had six starts, winning a maiden at Te Rapa in late September and placing at black-type level in all of the other five. She placed in last season's Gr.3 Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m), Gr.2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m) and Listed Star Way Stakes (1200m), and she has continued that trend into her three-year-old season with placings in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and last Saturday's 2000 Guineas.
Marsh has been pleased with the way Love Poem came through the 2000 Guineas, which was run in 1:33.86 – the third-fastest time in the history of the race.
"She's bounced through it beautifully," Marsh said. "We're happy to back her up again on Saturday with the addition of side winkers.
"She was making up ground behind the favourite (Alabama Lass) in the Soliloquy Stakes a few weeks ago, and I think she's a better filly left-handed as well, so we're going into Saturday in good shape.
"It's a quality field with the likes of Alabama Lass, Captured By Love and also Andrew Forsman's exciting filly (Kitty Flash), but I think we're going into it with a runner that can be right in the finish again."
Marsh will also be represented in Saturday's Gr.3 Martin Collins 161st New Zealand Cup (3200m), in which Nest Egg will attempt to go one better than his runner-up finish behind Mahrajaan last year.
Nest Egg went into last year's Cup as the winner of the lead-up race on the first day of the carnival, the Listed Metropolitan Trophy (2600m). He ran in the same race last Saturday and finished eighth behind Mehzebeen.
"He probably just over-raced a little bit on the first day," Marsh said. "This time in, he's feeling better and going better than he ever has before. He might have just got a bit too keen in the blinkers. The blinkers will come off for the Cup.
"He's come through the first day very well. With that run under his belt, and ridden a bit more neutrally, I think he can be very competitive."
Both Love Poem and Nest Egg will be ridden by Matt Cartwright. The TAB rates them $11 and $12 chances respectively.
