Stakes race next target for Devise
Shaune Ritchie has found the perfect race for the well-performed Devise.
The Cambridge trainer is sending the Darci Brahma mare south to Wellington for Saturday’s Gr.3 Mills Reef Trentham Stakes (2100m).
‘‘We feel she is looking for more ground now and her record on the track is very good,’’ Ritchie said.
‘‘She ran second in the Desert Gold Stakes, second in the Oaks behind Bonneval and she won a special conditions race there.
‘‘She’s very well-placed in the Trentham Stakes and any Group One winners will be giving her a fair bit of pudding.’’
Devise was a first-up winner this season at Ellerslie before she finished third behind the highlyregarded Love Affair at Pukekohe.
At her most recent appearance, she ran fourth in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) after which plans were changed and the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) was bypassed.
‘‘It was a tougher run than anticipated and we didn’t want to back her up again,’’ Ritchie said.
Devise will be the stable’s only runner at Trentham this weekend with two booked for the second day of the meeting.
‘‘Snow Secret will run in the Wellington Cup and she’ll have a trial at Cambridge on Tuesday and Swisswatch will go down for a Rating 65 mile,’’ Ritchie said.
Snow Secret hasn’t raced since she was out of the money in the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m) while Swisswatch won at Pukekohe before a close last-start sixth at Ellerslie.
The Oaks Stud will offer a yearling half-sister (Lot 602) by Reliable Man to Snow Secret during the Book 1 Sale at Karaka later this month while Swisswatch’s brother (Lot 793) is in Westbury Stud’s Book 2 draft.