NZ Cup Beckons For My Scotsgrey
- Sunday, 08 November 2009 05:15
Ritchie was speaking about the prospects of the likely cup favourite My Scotsgrey after he and rider Leith Innes had given a faultless performance to win the $70,000, Group III, Gold Club Metropolitan Trophy, an Open Handicap over 2500 metres on Saturday.
The striking grey with a laidback demeanour had ordinary form on paper before he sprinted clear off the trail for an impressive win over 2400 metres at Ellerslie a fortnight ago, but as Ritchie pointed out, his lead up runs had been over shorter distances.
"I had to get him ready or you'll miss the bus. He's had to race in unsuitable races over 1400 and 1600 metres, but once stepped up to longer distances he was always going to be competitive. He's a dead-set, genuine, Kiwi staying horse", said Ritchie.
On tour with two horses from his training base in Cambridge, Ritchie had produced Military Move to finish second to Katie Lee in the group one 2000 Guineas earlier in the programme and attributes the beach environments encountered on the travels to keeping his horses in good shape for their assignments.
"I took them to Raglan to get them used the beach and stayed with David Haworth on the beach at Foxton on the way down. We arrived here last Wednesday and I'm staying out at the trotting stables with David Butt and they work them on the beach out there."
After receiving a sweet trip in the trail by Leith Innes, My Scotsgrey ranged to lead early in the run home and although enduring a tussle with locally trained galloper Zabene he scored in dominant fashion by half a length.
Ritchie said, "It wasn't a big margin, but I think he was doing his best work over the last 100 metres."
There was an eye-catching run in the race from Smoking Chimneys to finish third, and both he and Zabene will go on to contest the NZ Cup next week.
Owned by G G Syndicate Ltd, R M Reid, S F Ritchie, W M Schoonderwoerd, R J Stroud, G Syminton, Mrs C B & M A Todd, My Scotsgrey trekked to Victoria last season, finishing second to The Tiger in the Geelong Classic before going on to produce a notable performance for sixth to Coniston Bluebird in the New Zealand Derby in March.
Along with the group one 1000 Guineas, the $225,000, Group 3, Christchurch Casino 146th New Zealand Cup (3200m) is part of a monumental days racing at Riccarton Park Racecourse in Christchurch on Saturday November 14.
