Photo: Trish Dunell
The Jamie Richards-trained Prise De Fer is set to line up in Saturday's Gr.1 Rydges Wellington Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.
TAB bookmakers have Prise De Fer as a $6.50 third favourite in a Captain Cook market headed by Two Illicit at $3.20 and Aegon at $4.20.
Savabeel six-year-old Prise De Fer has been freshened since his Group One placings in the Windsor Park Plate (1600m) and Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings in October.
Comeback jockey Johnathan Parkes, who enjoyed Karaka Million (1200m) and Gr.1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) success on the Richards-trained On The Bubbles last season, rides Prise De Fer.
"Prise De Fer, we're really happy with him," Richards said. "The mile is probably his pet distance. He had a nice trial on Monday and he'd had an exhibition gallop at Te Rapa since Hastings. Everything seems to be going really well with him as well.
"Unfortunately he's drawn wide again; he just can't seem to get a good barrier, so he'll have to go back and get out of his ground again. Hopefully Parkesy can overcome that on Saturday.
"Johnathan did a good job on him last year and he's an accomplished rider. We're happy to have him on."
Bred by Raffles Dancers Pty Ltd, Prise De Fer was purchased out of Trelawney Stud's 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale draft for $100,000. -NZ Racing Desk