David Walsh’s golden run continued at Riccarton on Saturday when he collected a winning double at his home track courtesy of in-form runners Zelia and Toa Haka, and now he has his sights on black-type targets.
The former champion jockey returned to the training ranks this season and he has now won four and placed in five of his 12 starts since his comeback, with the pair adding two wins apiece to his tally.
Juvenile filly Zelia has shown a lot of promise for Walsh this season and continued her upward trajectory when taking out the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series – Noms Close 31 March (1000m) by a convincing 5-1/2 lengths, with Walsh believing the addition of blinkers were a great assist.
“She just keeps improving and keeps putting her head in the feed bin,” he said. “Each time she has a day out she just gets better.
“I always thought the blinkers would help her a lot after giving her a gallop in them in track work one day. You just have to wait for the right time (to use them) because they have got to be really ready to go when you use them.
“She had two runs back from a spell, she had a trial at Ashburton 10 days before, so she was fit and ready to go, so it was a great time to put them (blinkers) on. It worked and she was too good for them.
“The fact it was a Pearl Series race as well was great, basically being worth double the stake money.”
While Walsh believes Zelia is suited to better footing, he is pressing on with the daughter of Fierce Impact for at least one more run in a bid to gain black-type in next month’s Listed Riccarton Park Function Centre Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton.
“The track is nowhere near as firm as she would like. She will go a lot better on dry ground. She seemed to skip through it (Soft7) pretty good, but she was able to pick her line and go where she wanted,” Walsh said.
“She is going to race on the 12th (of April) at Riccarton in a 1000m Listed two-year-old race, so while she is up and in-form she might as well have a crack at that.
“She came through the race well, she looked beautiful yesterday, you wouldn’t have even thought she had been anywhere.
“There is one more race that she can start in (after the Welcome Stakes), but by then she has probably done enough, so will more likely head to the spelling paddock after her next start and have a month off and then start thinking about the spring time.”
Walsh said she will likely be joined in the Welcome Stakes by stablemate Loose 'N' Vegas, who finished runner-up in her 1000m trial at Riccarton on Monday.
“She went really well,” he said. “I did think that she might be able to win the trial but the horse who won (El Vaquero) went really well at Ashburton with a light weight on. She (Loose 'N' Vegas) wasn’t totally happy in the ground (Soft7), the ground was pretty chopped up after racing on Saturday.
“Being a Turn Me Loose, she is not really a 1000m horse, 1200m and further is going to be a big help to her. I do think if it had been 1200m she would have won.”
Loose 'N' Vegas was set to make her debut against Zelia last Saturday, but Walsh said it was a blessing in disguise that she didn’t gain a start.
“She was in on Saturday on the ballot but didn’t get a start and that was probably a blessing because she would have had a hard race trying to chase Zelia,” he said. “She might have run in the money, but it is probably better having the trial today.
“I am looking at running her in that black-type race first-up. There is nothing else around for her unless you go to Riverton, which is a long way to go. If she can get a run at Riccarton, she will start there.
“Whatever she does she will improve with the run. She should be competitive in that next black-type race (Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes, 1200m) on May 3, which is more up her alley than the 1000m.”
Back at Riccarton last Saturday, Walsh completed his winning double when Toa Haka made it back-to-back victories in the Moorpork NZ Pig Farm Rating 75 (1200m).
The victory brought his season record to two wins and three placings from eight starts, and nearly $60,000 in earnings.
“He has been racing fantastic,” Walsh said. “His first run he half needed it and drew wide that day, so it was a real forgive run. Every run since has been good and he keeps improving every start.
“He has got a lot of ticker and keeps showing plenty of heart in his races and when he gets challenged, he keeps finding.
“He got the most beautiful run in the race (on Saturday) and he was just too good for them.
“He will race in three weeks as well where there is a rating 75 1400m for him.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
