Riccarton beckons Ellerslie winners
Conditions at Riccarton in November are likely to contrast starkly with Saturday’s wet and soggy Ellerslie track.
That won’t worry connections of two of Saturday’s big winners.
The Soultaker ploughed through the tough conditions to win Saturday’s Group III Bonecrusher Stakes despite his aversion to the wet.
Mitchelson Cup winner Pacorus doesn’t mind a wet track but doesn’t need it as heavy as he struck on Saturday.
‘‘He’s a big, strong horse now and he got through the ground because of it,’’ The Soultaker’s jockey Mark Du Plessis said.
‘‘But he will be better when he gets back on good ground.’’
His second first-up behind Heroic Valour in the Listed Northland Breeders’ Stakes at his home track of Ruakaka, had the Iffraaj colt favourite to win Saturday’s $70,000 feature. But the Heavy11 track presented a very different challenge, and The Soultaker was clearly uncomfortable in the conditions.
But in a performance right up with his best best, The Soultaker got up to beat the filly Hello M’Lady by a length and a quarter.
The mission at Riccarton for Donna Logan and Chris Gibbstrained 3-year-old is the Group I 2000 Guineas.
The Soultaker is rated an $8 chance in the $400,000 race, sharing third favouritism with Sweet Leader.
Favourites are the unbeaten colts Heroic Valour ($5) and Ugo Foscolo ($6).
Hello M’Lady is one of New Zealand’s best-performed maidens and will try and break that status in the Listed Soliliquy Stakes (1400m) on October 22. The Shocking filly has never finished further back than fourth in her sixstart career, including a fourth in the Listed Great Northern Foal Stakes and a third to Highlad and Manhattan Street in the Wanganui Guineas earlier this month.
Mitchelson Cup winner Pacorus will be at Riccarton for the New Zealand Cup (3200m) ‘‘if the track is not rock hard’’.
‘‘He goes on a good track but doesn’t want it too firm,’’ trainer Chris Wood said.
‘‘He’s going well with five wins from his last six and Viktoria [jockey Viktoria Gatu] does a great job on him.’’