Longchamp on way to Hastings
THE first leg of the Hawke’s Bay spring carnival will be the next target for Opunake Cup winner Longchamp after his impressive display at New Plymouth on Saturday.
Trainer Andrew Campbell said heading to Riccarton was never in their plans for the four-year-old son of Tavistock who has won his last three races.
It was been a sharp rise for Longchamp who last month was winning a rating 75 1200m at Wanganui before stepping up over 1300m at Otaki where he comfortably beat Cool Moon.
Fours weeks later he proved too good over 1400m to pick up the $65,000 Powerworx Opunake Cup as he powered through the heavy 11 conditions to beat North and South by two and a half lengths with and a brave Taurus, who was forced to lump 60kg, third.
‘‘He’s always shown a lot of ability, he’s just had a lot of issues,’’ Campbell said.
‘‘This time in Tommy [partowner Tommy Heptinstall] and I have sat down and talked about things and it’s just come to plan. It’s been great.’’
The next part of that plan will be the weight-for-age $200,000 Makfi Stakes at Hastings on August 27.
’’We were never going to go south because it’s too hard on them for us with all that travel. We’ve nominated for all three legs of the triple crown so we’ll see how he comes through because he’s a day-by-day horse.’’
Campbell confirmed Longchamp will not be seen at the races until the Makfi.
‘‘He’s a light framed horse who does not need a hell of a lot of work. If you look at his form, it’s a month between races so it works in perfectly.’’
The Opaki trainer was also delighted with the ride of teenage apprentice Timothy Johnson who enjoyed the biggest win of his brief career.
Beaten favourite Summer’s Day was fourth, with trainer Tony Pike adamant the state of the Pukekura track was her undoing.
‘‘It was just a bit too testing out there, it’s as heavy as I’ve seen all winter,’’ he said. ‘‘She travelled well to the corner but just came off the bridle and got stuck in the mud a little. She probably wans it a bit better than that.’’
Pike said although her had yet to firm up a plan for the four-yearold Darci Brahma mare, it was unlikely they would be heading south for the Winter Cup.
‘‘She might have a little break now and then we’ll look at bringing her back early summer. She’s ANDY JACKSON/FAIRFAX NZ
‘" He’s always shown a lot of ability, he’s just had a lot of issues."’ ANDREW CAMPBELL
been up a long time now and in these sort of tracks, it tends to rip the guts out of them a little bit.’’
One trainer definitely heading to Christchurch is Evan Rayner who said Taurus had no chance of winning the Opunake Cup with the weight difference between his horse and the rest of the field.
‘‘But what can you do? We don’t have too many other options.’’
Although not ruling a line through Taurus’ chances in the Winter Cup, he said if they were presented with similar conditions it would be a massive task.
Meanwhile, Katie McKeen made it three wins on end when she won the Seaton Park 2000 by five lengths.
Rider Rosie Myers took the sixyear-old Keeninsky mare to the front early and she cleared out from the rest of the field along with Perfect Start.
It quickly became a race in two with Katie McKeen pulling away in the final 100m, with Our Gazza third.