NZ mare out to book ticket to Melbourne

New Zealand mare Fanatic will be out to enhance her Caulfield Cup chances when she runs in the Group One Livamol Classic at Hawkes Bay.

Her training partners Graeme Sanders and Debbie Sweeney believe Fanatic will improve over the 2040 metres of Saturday’s race after two unplaced runs over 1400 and 1600 metres.

“This is the one we have set her for,” Sweeney told NZ Racing Desk.

“She is really well, we’re very happy and the only question mark will be the track.

“We’ve got to be positive and anything up to a Dead 6 would be OK, but maybe not any worse.”

In March, Fanatic won the New Zealand Oaks on protest from Sofia Rosa who runs in Sunday’s Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.

Sofia Rosa then travelled to Sydney where she won the Australian Oaks the following month.

Sweeney said the Livamol would determine Fanatic’s Australian program with the mare 30th in the order of entry for the Caulfield Cup on October 15.

“Everything is up in the air until after Saturday,” Sweeney said.

“She’s down the order a bit for the Caulfield Cup, but we could be looking at a race like the Geelong Cup.”

“There are a lot of staying options over there outside of the big Cups.”