Last year’s Australian Oaks and New Zealand Oaks winner, Pennyweka, is focusing her efforts on Sydney for her upcoming races.
After recently making her first appearance as a four-year-old in a distance well short of her best, her trainer Jim Wallace has opted to bypass local Group 1 events like the Arrowfield Stud Plate and Livamol Classic to focus on Sydney’s lucrative opportunities.
“She has come through Saturday’s run very well, we are very happy with her,” Wallace said.
Pennyweka will not participate in the next two legs of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival, instead gearing up for the Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on October 7, a $2 million weight-for-age event.
The $5 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup is off the table this year, as Wallace mentioned the possibility of participating in Melbourne’s Moonee Valley Cup instead.
“There is nothing easy about a Caulfield Cup preparation, so that can wait for another year,” he said.