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Scott shooting for fourth Livamol
Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • October 8th, 2026 3:58 pm
Andrew Scott (left) and Lance O'Sullivan pictured with Waitak following his victory in the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) at Hastings last month | Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images)
Andrew Scott has a strong record in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m), having won it on three occasions, and he will be shooting for a fourth when he heads to Hastings on Saturday.
The Matamata trainer scored his first win in the race in 2005 with Xcellent, when it was known as the Kelt Capital Stakes, while training in partnership with the late Michael Moroney. He doubled his tally 11 years later with Willie Cazals, who he trained with Lance O’Sullivan, his current training partner, and the Wexford Stables pair repeated the result last year with Waitak.
“Xcellent was a tremendous talent and he beat a really good horse in Distinctly Secret that day,” Scott said. “He was on his way to Melbourne and he was a hell of a racehorse and you go down there with a different kind of confidence.
“It was a wonderful result with Willie Cazals, and a real team effort. We brought him back from Hong Kong and he worked his way back up to fitness. We always believed that when he got to the 2000m and was fit he was going to perform well. It was a huge celebration.
“Waitak certainly deserved that (win last year) and it was a great result for the team.
“All three are very different horses. To win the race it generally takes a really good horse and that is the one thing all three horses had in common.”
Waitak holds Wexfords’ hopes in this year’s edition, and heads into the race in great form, having won the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) at Hastings a fortnight ago, replicating the feat he accomplished 12 months ago.
Scott said he has progressed nicely since that run and he is expecting another bold showing from barrier four, with Craig Grylls aboard.
“The team is pleased with him. He has had a good fortnight,” Scott said.
“We went down there for the Howden thinking that he was in a position in his campaign where he was going to improve a good deal. He was aided by the run and got the result that we had all hoped.
“We think that he has genuinely improved. Craig galloped him on Tuesday morning, he is a terrific worker and puts a lot of energy into everything he does. We think he is going as good as last year, but he probably runs into a stronger field than last year. We appreciate the fact that his rivals will improve coming out of the Howden as well.
“He is going to meet some nice ground down there. He has got a beautiful barrier where he is going to hopefully be aided by a nice run in the race. That is important because that is what it really comes down to on the day because the quality of the field is so even, and generally in the Group One weight-for-age races it comes down to who gets the best run in the race, and with that gate it is certainly going to aid his chances on the weekend.
“He is a happy, sound horse that we know can run out a strong 2000m. We are very hopeful of a competitive performance on the weekend.”
Wexford will also be seeking stakes success at Hastings with Checkmate in the Gr.3 Timberspan Spring Sprint (1400m), with the son of Mongolian Khan second-up after running sixth over 1200m at Hastings last month.
“He will be a big improver this weekend,” Scott said. “He has taken good benefit with the run. He will meet quicker ground and comes in well at the handicap.
“Warren (Kennedy, jockey) knows him best and the way he has worked certainly indicates that he is going to be a really good chance on the weekend.
“He has raced in some really good races and been competitive. We think he is going to have a good year. Hopefully he is really close on the weekend.”
Scott is also buoyed by the prospects of exciting three-year-old Coniston, who will have his third career start in the Thomson’s Suits 3YO (1400m).
The son of Wootton Bassett was a beaten favourite on debut before winning convincingly at his home track last month, and Scott is confident of another pleasing effort on Saturday.
“He is a horse that continues to improve,” Scott said. “He went an improvers run on debut and made good ground from a wide gate. On his home track, with the benefit of his debut under his belt, he executed so much better.
“He has drawn a little wider (9), but the 1400m is right up his alley. We think he has gone the right way post his last run. He takes another step up in class, but we think he can cope. He is a beautiful colt and we think he is going the right way. All going well, he is really storming home and still on track.”
Coniston is on a path towards the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton next month, and he will likely have one more run in the Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) at Te Rapa on Labour Day before heading south.
“There is still a bit of water to go under the bridge, but we can only hope that his form stays strong and he ends up in the race (2000 Guineas),” Scott said.
Meanwhile, the stable will be represented by a quartet of runners at Taupo on Friday, including two promising debutants in Mega Roc and Finozino, who will contest the Placemakers Taupo 1100m) and Generation Homes (1100m) respectively.
“We have liked Megarock, a filly we got from the Ready to Run Sale this time last year,” Scott said. “We have taken our time with her and been patient with her, and she has trialled really well. She galloped well here (Matamata) last Saturday morning, and we think she will debut well.
“Finozino is a filly that we got from the Karaka yearling sales and her trials have been very good. She is a filly that we have just taken our time with in the spring. She is from Eight Carat’s family, so they get better with age. We think she is going to step out well.”
