Win would mean much to veteran trainer
VETERAN trainer Frank Ritchie is hoping to land his first New Zealand 2000 Guineas with the lightly raced Dawn Patrol tomorrow.
Ritchie (74) believes Dawn Patrol, unbeaten in two starts, provides him with his best chance to win the race for 3yrolds since the great Bonecrusher finished third in 1985.
‘‘He worked over 1400m on Saturday morning at Cambridge on the course proper and I was very happy with his work,’’ Ritchie said.
‘‘It was a good solid hitout. ‘‘On Tuesday he had a nice, quiet piece of work and he was due to fly out in the early hours of Wednesday morning, but that was aborted due to fog in Christ church, so he was delayed by 24 hours.’’
Ritchie said the Guineas was not initially a target for the son of Dawn Approach.
‘‘He’s eligible for the Karaka Million and that was always his target.
‘‘After he won a trial, I thought it would be hard to get him ready in time for the Guineas.
‘‘He’s an aggressive horse and he likes to get on with his work. I don’t have to work him in company very often, because he does it himself.
‘‘His ringcraft is not as good as I would like, but he is getting better, he is conditionedup and it is a halfmilliondollar race.’’
Dawn Patrol has won both his starts at Matamata and has since trialled well at Te Aroha.
‘‘I didn’t want to run in the Sarten as it was only eight days after his last win. I didn’t want to back him up. Physically he recovers immediately as he is a pretty strong horse, but mentally he takes a day or two.’’
Jason Waddell will take the reins tomorrow.
‘‘Jason Waddell is right up there with the best,’’ Ritchie said.
‘‘One of his great attributes is his ability to read a race and he studies it. He has great judge ment on a horse and knows what the opposition is doing. He is just a natural horseman.’’
Ritchie would dearly love to win for owner Rex Jensen, a client of the stable for more than 40 years and for whom he prepared Winning Wave to win the 1997 Thorndon Mile.
‘‘He’s a huge enthusiast who just loves his racing and he selected this horse because he wanted a yearling by Dawn Approach. He had seen Dawn Approach race in England,’’ Ritchie said.
‘‘It would give me great joy to win him a major race — much more joy than the stakes or anything. You can’t buy how he’d feel if he won.’’ — NZ Racing Desk