One of the top juveniles from the past season is back in work and is making steady progress towards the start of a busy three-year-old campaign.

The Graeme and Debbie Rogerson trained Gift Of Power caught the eye early in the 2016/17 season when she strung together a hattrick of wins that included the Gr. 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham in December. In two subsequent starts the filly from the first crop of Cambridge Stud stallion Power finished runner-up to Hasahalo in Group Three company at Ellerslie before finishing unplaced in the rich Karaka Million in January.

Put aside for a decent break, the rising three-year-old has been back in work for some time now and is pleasing co-trainer Graeme Rogerson with her progress to date.

“She has really furnished into a super looking individual and strengthened up nicely during her time in the paddock,” he reported.

“She’s been back in work a wee while now and has done everything right so far. She’s probably just about ready for her first serious gallop in the next week or so and we will then start to make our plans from there.

“We’ve got the 1000 Guineas at Riccarton as one of her main aims for the early summer with the Gold Trail Stakes at the Hastings spring carnival earmarked as an early assignment.”

Meanwhile Rogerson and wife Debbie are reassessing the immediate plans for promising filly Malambo who ran a courageous second at Te Rapa on the weekend.

“She went a very good race as she slipped at the start and that probably cost her the race,” he noted.

“She had a bad draw and when she missed away a little it meant she couldn’t get handy in the early rush like we wanted. She dug in like a good horse in the run home so we weren’t disappointed with her.

“We had planned to take her to the Ryder Stakes but we’re having another think about that as I don’t think she really likes the heavy tracks. Nuclear Fusion will definitely be going to the race but we might just wait for something better with this filly.”

Rogerson also confirmed that progressive sprinter Ferrando was back in work with the major sprint events at the New Zealand Cup Carnival at Riccarton in November as his target while underrated two-year-old filly Santuzza was another from the team with Gr. 1 1000 Guineas aspirations in the coming season.