Trainer Lee Sommervell has revealed that the 2015 Doomben Cup is the long-term goal for talented gelding Addictive Habit.
Addictive Habit finished behind Sacred Falls (pictured) in the 2013 edition of the Hawke’s Bay Guineas. Photo by: Steve Hart
Addictive Habit was sent to the spelling paddock after he recorded a narrow win over Nashville and Silverdale in the Group 2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton Park on November 12 and Sommervell is already plotting an autumn path for the son of Colombia.
Sommervell said that Addictive Habit is a chance of returning to racing in an event like the Easter Handicap in New Zealand next year before making the trip to Brisbane for races like the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on May 9 and the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 6.
“That’s my main aim and races like the Brisbane and Doomben Cups would suit him,” Somervell told New Zealand Racing Desk.
“We thought about it earlier this year, but he was only a Rating 85 horse and now he’s well up in the ratings he’ll get in those races and we can plan it properly.
“When we bring him back we might have a go at something like the Easter Handicap and then hopefully get ready for Brisbane.”
Addictive Habit made his racing debut in July of 2012 and Sommervell has always been confident that the gelding was capable of winning at the highest level of racing and he contested races like the Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m), Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m), Group 2 Waikato Guineas (2000m), Group 2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) and Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) as a three-year-old before he recorded his maiden win at black type level in the Coupland’s Bakeries Mile.
Sommervell is also eyeing a trip to Brisbane for the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) with promising three-year-old Amun Ra.
Amun Ra won the Devon Oaks in dominant fashion as a two-year-old earlier this year and had no luck when he finished third behind Busta in the Hawke’s Bay Guineas Prelude (1200m) at Hastings on August 30.
The Ustinov colt was far from disgraced when fifth in the Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) on October 4 and he was sent to the spelling paddock after he was given an extremely poor ride and finished towards the tail of the field in the Group 3 James & Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m).
“It would be nice to take a couple and if Amun Ra doesn’t make it through to the Derby then he could go, he’s got a heap of ability,” Sommervell said.
Sommervell hopes to return to Brisbane for the first time since he took talented sprinter Black Visa to Queensland almost thirty years ago.
