Top jockey Hugh Bowman predicted a bright spring for dual Group One winner Norzita after putting her through her paces in an exhibition gallop at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Bowman is booked to ride the mare when she resumes in the Group Three Show County Quality (1200m) at the track on Saturday week with the Cox Plate among her long-term targets.
“Lovely. She feels good and I think she’s in for a good preparation,” Bowman said.
The Doncaster Mile placegetter worked in blinkers with stablemate Maximillian, levelling up to that gelding in the straight and matching strides with him to the line.
Co-trainer James Cummings said the opportunity to gallop Norzita on the course proper at Warwick Farm was the reason for her race day appearance.
He was rapt with her workout and glad to give her a look at the track ahead of her first-up assignment.
“That’s just what we wanted and she will be here in ten days time first-up,” Cummings said.
“We find it’s really good for them to get out of their comfort zone at home, and also given she is racing here first-up and we weren’t going to be able to trial her on the course proper on Friday (at the official trials), it was great to be able to use the course proper today.”
James Cummings formed a training partnership with his famous grandfather Bart at the start of the season and the pair had their first stakes winner as a unit when Eurozone captured the Listed Rosebud last Saturday.
The colt will have one more start in the Run To The Rose on August 31 as his final lead-up for the Group One Golden Rose two weeks later and Cummings said he had come through the weekend’s assignment in great order.
