Foxbridge Plate likely first assignment; Allpress gains licence; In Style back in work;

Foxbridge Plate likely first assignment

The Gr.3 Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa in August has been pencilled in as Pondarosa Miss’ first step toward Melbourne.

“That’s what we’re looking at as long as everything goes well,” said Darrel Hollinshead, who co-bred and part-owns the mare with his father and trainer Peter. “She’s out for a month and she’s jumping out of her skin.”

Pondarosa Miss’ long-term aim is the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup and the Gr.1 Easter Handicap winner may also make an appearance during the Triple Crown series at Hastings before leaving for Australia.

Allpress gains licence

International jockey Lisa Allpress has been granted a licence by the Japan Racing Association until the end of July.

The New Zealand Jockeys’ Premiership winner in 2011-12 with 159 winners, she returned home before Christmas after her Singapore contract was unexpectedly terminated. She had 68 wins to her credit there in 18 months.

Allpress will be primarily riding for owner Kenichi Izumi and her host trainer Yoshitaka Ninomiya, of the JRA Miho Training Centre.

In Style back in work

Leading sprinter In Style has returned to work with trainer Danica Guy at Matamata.

“She looks terrific and she’s back on the walker,” she said. “We’ll probably find a race for at the Hawke’s Bay carnival and then hopefully we’ll be looking at Australia.

“It’s hard to plan too far out with her though, she needs a very good track. She’s hopeless even if it’s dead.”

In Style showed her quality during her summer campaign that netted wins in the Gr.1 Railway Stakes, the Gr.3 Concorde Handicap and the Listed Counties Bowl.