The Jeff Lynds trained star stablemates Wall Street and Vosne Romanee are likely to clash at Otaki late this month. Both horses are scheduled to tackle the Otaki-Maori Weight-For-Age (1600m) on February 28. The Awapuni pair have spearheaded a wonderful run for the Awapuni training centre having picked up three Group I wins this season with Wall Street recorded a crushing victory in the $200,000 Thorndon Mile at Trentham. With the Central Districts having won six of the available nine Group One this season it has highlighted the strength in Central Districts area. This comes after comments in December on Trackside where Aidan Rodley highlighted Central Districts 2YO as being inferior to there Northern counterparts which is anything further from the truth when you consider everyone purchases from the New Zealand Bloodstock sales. 

Wall Street win in the Throndon Mile took his record to having won six of his last seven starts, with his sole defeat over that period coming when he was checked out of contention in the $1 million Telegraph Handicap (1200m) on the first day at Trentham. He had half a length to spare over Tavistock in the Thorndon, his smallest winning margin this term, but was never seriously threatened over the last 200m.

Lynds did not make up his mind about the Thorndon till Friday night and rider Buddy Lammas was not sure that the horse was going to start till he checked the scratchings on Saturday morning. "I hummed and hahed a fair bit," Lynds said.

Wall Street's owners had left the decision up to Lynds but had been keen to run. "I thought that if the horse was as good as we hoped, that he would be able to back up and that we would learn something whatever the result," part-owner Vern Curtis said. "If he failed, we would know not to do it again and if he won, we would have learnt something as well."Wall Street, who suffered a tendon injury as a three-year-old and then had barrier problems, has had only 11 starts and appears to have as much raw talent as any horse in New Zealand. "He's got untapped potential," Lynds said.

Wall Street has yet to race past 1600m but could make his middle distance debut in the Awapuni Gold Cup on April 3. However, he has also been nominated for the A$1.5 million Doncaster Handicap (1600m) at Randwick, in Sydney, on April 17.

Vosne Romanee, who has already had two Group I weight-for-age wins this term, will use the Otaki race as a leadup to the Group I New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on March 13. Vosne Romanee's plans past Ellerslie are uncertain but there is a chance he will go to Hong Kong for the QE II Cup and there are also options at the Sydney autumn carnival.

The news therefore is all good for the Otaki-Maori WFA where two of New Zealands leading gallopers wil be action. Mark down Sunday February 28th as a day you have to be at Otaki.