Proisir 3YO Books Ticket to Brisbane

Media Release - Tuesday April 25

Progressive three-year-old The Racketeer showed all his fighting qualities when he lifted himself off the canvas to take victory in the opening event at Avondale on Tuesday.

The Racketeer earns himself a Brisbane winter campaign with a tough win at Avondale Photo: Trish Dunell

In the process the powerful son of Proisir has earned himself a ticket to the Brisbane winter carnival with several other members of the Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray stable.

Rider Sam Weatherley took the bull by the horns as he set up a steady pace aboard The Racketeer in the 1400m contest, but looked to be in serious trouble when Pour The Wine dashed past him at the 300m and looked set for victory.

Weatherley got to work on the big fellow and he kicked back strongly to forge to the lead again nearing the finish line to post his third career victory.

Ritchie, who is currently in Australia with three-year-old filly Maurizma to contest a maiden 1800m event at Eagle Farm next week after finishing an unlucky fourth on debut at Ruakaka earlier in the month, was pleased with victory.

“He had to win today to justify a trip to Brisbane and he has got the job done,” Ritchie said.

“He didn’t corner well today and that nearly cost him, so he is going to have to sharpen up if he is going to foot it in Australia.

“We’ll have a look at the race again and it might be he has a gear change for next time, maybe some winkers or even a set of blinkers.

“In saying that he is still growing and is a pretty laid-back customer who we think will really suit the tracks in Queensland.”

Advertisement

Ritchie purchased The Racketeer for $27,500 out of Rich Hill Stud’s 2021 Book 2 Karaka Yearling Sale draft and was quick to remember one of the gelding’s ownership group in Scott Massey who passed away recently.

“It was great to get that win as it is the first horse to have raced in Scott’s colours since he passed,” he said.

“He was a wonderful man and hopefully this can bring a little ray of sunshine for his family at such a sad time.”

Ritchie also advised that his recent European import Mahrajaan would also be joining the team in Queensland after having his first-up run in an open 1400m event at Te Rapa this weekend.

“We’ve got Mahrajaan earmarked for some of the good Brisbane staying races at this stage,” he said.

“He was going to run at Awapuni last Sunday but we didn’t want to tear his guts out on a very heavy track so we decided to wait and to send him a round at Te Rapa instead.

“He has come up well and while we are not expecting much over 1400m we would like to see him running on as we think once he gets up to 2400m and beyond he will be pretty competitive.”

Ritchie nominated the Gr.2 Brisbane Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm on June 10 as the main target for the son of Kitten’s Joy who he purchased in England last year for 65,000 guineas. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
G3 Gunsynd Classic Next for Proisir 3YO The Racketeer
Trainer Shaune Ritchie will be on a fact-finding mission with The Racketeer this weekend.
Tara Talks Racing - Trials and Racing
This week we’re talking trials after an insightful set of official 2YO trials in Sydney, plus some racing and how Fangirl will eventually go to stud with two Group I wins less on her resume than there should be.
2025 National Thoroughbred Week Launched
National Thoroughbred Week, the newly launched industry initiative designed to bring the public closer to the thoroughbred and our sport, is excited to confirm a truly trans-Tasman exposure, with hosts confirmed across all Australian and New Zealand regions.
Kiwi Cup Contender Headed to Australia
Melbourne Cup aspirant Trav secured his plane ticket across the Tasman with a pleasing performance over 2100m at Ellerslie on Saturday.
Sires With Winners - Monday September 22
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Pedigree Potential –NZB Ready to Run – Nicks that Click
A quality packed catalogue for the 2025 NZB Ready to Run Sale is now online and in the lead up to the sale we’ll go looking each week for some horses of interest that jump out on pedigree for various reasons.
Home Affairs 2YOs Shine at Official Sydney Trials
I Am Invincible’s exciting young sire son Home Affairs was the talk of the town after the yearling sales this year when his progeny topped both Magic Millions and Inglis Easter and at Randwick on Monday morning he had two runners at the official 2YO trials and both of them came out winners.
One to Watch – Warrnambool
So You Think is the first sire to hit 40 winners for the season and he did it with a three year-old filly that won easily on debut at Warrnambool on Monday in the Kia Ora Stud colours.
Breednet Follow the Official Sydney 2YO Trials - 7 – 9
All 2YO heats this morning run at Randwick over 850m with these trials the key factor in deciding fields for the Group III ATC Breeders Plate and Gimcrack Stakes in two weeks time.
Breednet Follow the Official Sydney 2YO Trials - 4-6
All 2YO heats this morning run at Randwick over 850m with these trials the key factor in deciding fields for the Group III ATC Breeders Plate and Gimcrack Stakes in two weeks time.