Connections ponder options for Patrick Erin

One of the South’s brightest stars Patrick Erin could be lost to New Zealand Racing.

The combination of a lack of South Island opportunities and the horse’s high handicap rating have his connections pondering what next for the Wellington Cup favourite.

One option that was being discussed was to send the horse to an Australian trainer, co-trainer Brian Anderton said.

“We might have seen the last of him here — we are all pretty despondent with his rating.” he said.

“It is a shame, New Zealand losing these good horses, but they have got to go away — it is just the way of the handicapping.

Only 14 horses currently racing in New Zealand have a higher rating than Patrick Erin. That is despite the horse having only won one listed race — last season’s Riverton Cup.

Patrick Erin has attracted serious offers from a range of international bloodstock agents, but his breeder and co-owner Pat Smith has no intentions to sell the horse.

“Pat has had some good offers for him, but he won’t sell him,” Anderton said.

Smith and his co-owners may still keep the horse in Otago, but his high placing in the handicaps means placing him in an Australian stable is an appealing option.

Patrick Erin’s connections have not ruled out the possibility of campaigning the horse in Australia from the Brian and Shane Anderton stable.

International flights for horses available from Christchurch made the idea appealing but the stable would need to investigate how to do that and maintain their team of horses at home, Anderton said. Patrick Erin holds a nomination for March’s Auckland Cup, but his appearance in that race looks unlikely. Patrick Erin arrived home to North Taieri yesterday after running fourth in Saturday’s Wellington Cup.

The stable were happy with the horse’s effort in a race where simply nothing went right for the horse and rider Chris Johnson.

“They went too slow, it wasn’t a really fast run race. Chris felt if he got a go a furlong earlier he could have run second or third but he couldn’t use his sprint because he was in confined quarters.” With Patrick Erin in the paddock, it will be left to stable star Tommy Tucker to fly the flag on Champions day at Wingatui.

The horse was on track to line up in the White Robe Lodge Weight-ForAge, he said.