New Plymouth trainer Robbie Patterson has elected to skip a trip to Wellington this weekend with his dual Group Three winner Coventina Bay (NZ) (Shamexpress).

The daughter of Shamexpress is readying for her raceday resumption and after winning a 1000m heat at the Foxton trials on November 16, she put in an unsatisfactory performance at Cambridge a week later.

“I trialled her about three weeks ago at Foxton and she trialled really well,” Patterson said.

“I wanted to get her to an open 1200m at Trentham this weekend, so I took her up to the polytrack at Cambridge and she got the kick back in her face. Craig Grylls rode her and said she didn’t like that so I was scratching my head until he told me that.”

Patterson will now aim Coventina Bay at the Gr.2 Carters Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni on December 18, with another trial planned beforehand.

“I’ll go to the trials next week at Foxton just to get a bit more confidence back,” he said. “Not that I am worried about it, but everything has to be going right to head towards those sort of races.

“She is fit and well and in better shape physically than she has ever been, she has no issues at the moment, which has been her problem the whole way through.

“With a bit of luck, we might be able to pick up a Group One.”