McCaffrey looks set for a good night in Auckland
Garrick Knight - Raceform • November 20th, 2025 3:06 PM • 3 min read
Con Grazia Love gets a prime opportunity to return to the winners’ circle at Alexandra Park on Friday night.
Bookies opened the rising seven-year-old Cambridge mare a clear favourite for the $17,000 Border Fencing Services Handicap Trot, and trainer Sean McCaffrey tends to agree with that assessment.
“She was a bit short in her first two runs back from a spell, but I was really happy with her leading into the Breeders Stakes last time,” he told RaceForm. “But we got pushed down on to the markers on the first bend and from there she was no chance. She made good ground, but the leaders were off and gone.”
This week, in the hands of stable junior Emily Johnson, McCaffrey expects Con Grazia Love to go close to winning with less traffic in her way.
“We’ve had a right old time with her in the last 12 months, battling ulcers, smashing through a fence, cutting her leg and some bad luck, but we are out the other side now.”
The former Gr.1 New Zealand Trotting Oaks winner will be looking to add a second big prize to her resume in next month’s Gr.1 Queen Of Diamonds at Alexandra Park, a race she ran a close second in last year.
“That and the lead-up a week prior are her two targets. I’m super happy with her and it’s been a while since I’ve been able to say that.”
A very impressive workout win at Cambridge last Friday will see Hillbilly start a short-priced favourite for McCaffrey in the $15,000 TAB – Metro Trotters Heat 1. He’s fresh up for six months, but a classy customer and his trainer thinks he’s ready to rumble this week.
“He trialled really, really well and it tidied him up nicely, because he had a good blow afterwards.
“He needed a good break, because he barely got one last year as a two-year-old – just a few weeks here and there.
“He’s strengthened up a lot and come back a much better horse, so hopefully he’s in for a good preparation.”
And Remember Me is in the same race, and it’s fair to say she’s been a frustration for her trainer with her propensity for over-racing and/or galloping blighting her recent record.
She was going to run second in a strong field at Auckland three starts ago but broke and galloped for the last 150 metres, getting disqualified in the process.
“She’s a tough horse, but she’s got a few quirks.
“We’ve put the mesh on her face this week, and some heavier shoes, and hopefully that does the trick.
“I don’t know that I would be going in a mobile sprint in a perfect world, but the owners really want to go in the Golden Gait with her next month, so we are chasing some more points for that.”
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