Kiwi Bid to Win Unique Australian Staying Race

Media Release - Monday November 18

Shaune Ritchie is going from chasing Group One glory at Riccarton on Saturday to attempting to win the longest flat race.

The Cambridge trainer was seeking his first Gr.1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) win and just came up short with Jennifer Eccles, finishing a long neck second to the Tony Pike-trained Loire, while his other representative, Belle Mente, finished fifth.

Where Are You will run in the Jericho Cup over 4600m - image Trish DunnellNow Ritchie is gearing up for a trip to Warrnambool next week to saddle up his stayer Where Are You in the $A300,000 Jericho Cup (4600m) the following Sunday on a  commemorative race day in honour of the ANZAC WWI heroes.

Where Are You, part-owned by Ritchie, is heading to Australia in company with the Neil O’Dowd-trained Aigne, who earned an all-expenses paid trip for the Jericho Cup when winning over 3210m at New Plymouth on September 28 and beating Where Are You, who had also been runner-up in the same Taranaki event last year.

The Jericho Cup was established to commemorate the centenary of a race run on the desert sands in Palestine in World War I and  is restricted to Australian and New Zealand-bred horses. The inaugural event was won last year by the New Zealand-bred High Mode.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Ritchie said.

“Where Are You hasn’t the class for an Auckland (Gr.1, 3200m) or Wellington Cup (Gr.3, 3200m), but she stays. We’ll find out how far she will get.

“It’ll be a real test going 4600m, but she’d never get a chance to run for that money here.”

The six-year-old daughter of Ekraar sealed her trip when winning last start over 2400m at Ellerslie.

While farewelling Where Are You on the float, Ritchie was awaiting the return north of Jennifer Eccles and Belle Mente after their Group One performances.

“I’ve run third three times in the 1000 Guineas and it would have been good to win one, but second is better than third and I was really pleased with Jennifer Eccles’ run. She has to be the best maiden in the country,” he said.

Jennifer Eccles hasn’t finished further back than fourth in six starts and is now four times black-type placed, including a third in the Gr.3 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie and a fourth in the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings.

“She copped a check, which didn’t help her chances, but Loire kicked the better,” Ritchie said. “She (Loire) is a big, powerful filly and was just too good, but I was proud of her (Jennifer Eccles).”

Belle Mente, third in last season’s Gr.1 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes (1400m), wound up less than two lengths from Loire when fifth on top of her third to subsequent Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) runner-up Harlech in the Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa.

“She went super,” Ritchie said. “She was dictated to by Bavella late in the race and it probably cost her fourth.

“Both fillies will now have a good break and we’ve got options for them.

Advertisement

“I’ll look at them in 10 days’ time and if they’re still a bit lethargic after the trip away they could have longer out. But if they’ve done well we’ll look at Christmas racing.

“There’s a 1400m on Boxing Day at Ellerslie and the Ladies Mile (Gr.2, 1600m) the same day. They won’t be going for the Royal Stakes (Gr.2, 2000m) on New Year’s Day.

“I’ll try and set them different paths and there’s a chance we might see if Jennifer Eccles looks like getting the Oaks trip (2400m). We’ll try her at 2000m in the autumn.”

Before heading to Warrnambool, Ritchie will be getting a further line on Swords Drawn at Pukekohe on Saturday in a Rating 72 1600m.

“He went a good race for second at Ellerslie last start, but with the 60kg he lacked the turn of foot he showed when he won the start before at Hastings,” Ritchie said. “He’ll be out of his grade on Saturday, but he won’t have the big weight.

“He’s going to make a stayer and he’ll be going for the Dunstan Feeds Stayers Championship Final (2400m).”

Ritchie also has Eva Rahma, the four-year-old sister to Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Catalyst, entered for the Dunstan Feeds Stayers Championship Final at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.

The daughter of Darci Brahma notched her second win from 10 starts when unleashing a powerful finish to score over 2100m at Pukekohe earlier this month. “She will certainly get the 2400m of the Dunstan Final,” Ritchie said.

Stablemate The Good Fight has returned from a three-start Australian campaign which netted a second and, though he is also entered for the Dunstan Feeds Stayers Championship Final, he will be aimed at the Gr.2 City Of Auckland Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.

“He’ll have a 1600m early in December and we’ll know more then,” Ritchie said.

“He ran second in the Dunstan Final last year, but it was too much of an ask with a big field and the way he gets back. The City Of Auckland Cup is a better option if he comes up well.”

Excalibur, a winner at Ellerslie on Melbourne Cup day, is also being set for the City Of Auckland Cup, in which he finished sixth last year.

“He’ll go for the City Of Auckland and Waikato Cup,” Ritchie said. - NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Lisa Kennedy Recognized for Thoroughbred Welfare
Lisa Kennedy has always had a passion for thoroughbreds, and her efforts in guiding retired racehorses into new careers through EventStars were celebrated at Entain’s Industry Excellence Awards last Sunday as the winner of the Care and Welfare Excellence Award.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday July 2
Here is the full list of 44 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sword Poised to Strike
When the first crop yearlings by a young stallion are well received and go into the right stables that’s always a good sign and then a few months after that is when things start to get really interesting.
High-flying Pencarrow Stud offers well-bred mares in Online Breeding Stock Sale
The 2024-25 season has been one of the best ever for Pencarrow Stud, and some of the renowned bloodlines that have underpinned that success are now available for purchase in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus.
One to Watch – Ballarat
Synthetic track meetings at Ballarat can throw up some misleading form, but a debut winner from the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable that started in the red and won by nine lengths is probably worth a closer look.
Breeding To Win – Crystal Ball – New Season 3YOs to Follow
Analysis of the G1 winning 3YO’s for this season has made us realise how many horses on this list took giant strides from two to three, so we are looking into the crystal ball to find some juveniles we believe could end next season as G1 performers if not G1 winners.
Sires With Winners - Friday July 4
Here is the full list of 38 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Third Winner for Peltzer
Twin Hills Stud’s young sire Peltzer added a third winner to his tally with a debut victory at Canberra on Friday for the well named gelding I Show Speed.
So You Think 3YO Wins $100,000 Inglis Xtra Bonus
Good placement from the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable for progressive three year-old So You Think gelding Aloysius, who cast off maiden status at Hawkesbury on Thursday in a race that featured a lucrative Inglis Xtra maiden bonus.
Invincible 2YO Colt wins for Bennett Racing
The $150,000 VRC Next Gen Sprinters Series Final (1200m) for two year-olds at Flemington on Saturday drew a competitive field of progressive juveniles and the colt that stood out on type in the yard was the one that got the cash with I Am Invincible colt Jimmy Recard proving too good for race favourite Bacash.