Ryan Mark adds spice to Ruakaka sprint mix
Ryan Mark will bypass the Foxbridge Plate in favour of a run at Ruakaka next weekend.
The champion sprinter finalist for the upcoming Horse of the Year awards will contest the open 1200m sprint where he clashes with locally trained stars Hasselhoof and Valley Girl.
The Thorn Park 5-year-old is on his way to the Group I Makfi Stakes (1400m) at Hastings in a few weeks, a race he finished second in last spring ridden by Michael Coleman who will be aboard at Ruakaka.
Ryan Mark used the Foxbridge Plate as a lead-up last year but trainer and co-owner John Morell will go north next weekend hoping for better footing.
Despite ongoing knee issues which require careful monitoring, the gelding performs to his best on dead or good surfaces.
Morell a Taupiri dairy farmer, is patently aware of the ample rain received in the Waikato recently and doesn’t want to risk waiting for the Foxbridge and striking a wet track.
‘‘I could have gone to the Te Teko trials [on Tuesday] but it will be wet there so we will go to Ruakaka and run around for some money,’’ Morell said.
‘‘I’ve never seen the horse look better, he’s been in work for a fair while and has done quite a bit of work on the beach at Raglan.
‘‘Hopefully he can do well in another campaign.’’
The highlight of last summer’s campaign was his brave win in the Group I Railway Stakes.
Hasselhoof and Valley Girl from the Ruakaka stable of Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs are also bound for the Hawke’s Bay carnival and are making the most of their local meeting to launch their spring campaigns.
Valley Girl is also a Horse of the Year finalist, appearing in the champion 3-year-old category.
The Group I winner of the Herbie Dyke Stakes was also Group I placed in the Vinery Stakes during a Sydney campaign.
Hasselhoof also campaigned in Sydney during the autumn with a Listed third the highlight after winning the Group II Rich Hill Mile at Ellerslie.
Also appearing at Ruakaka is NZ Derby runner-up What’s The Story from the Stephen McKee and Eddie Chippendale barn.
He will run fresh-up in a Rating 85 1400m race before embarking on a Sydney campaign.
‘‘He’s still a bit woolly in the coat but he’ll soon lose that,’’ McKee said.
‘‘He’s coming up well and there are some nice staying races for him in Sydney.’’
Meanwhile his capable stablemate Passing Shot will possibly be at Ruakaka for an exhibition gallop before heading to Melbourne for a fresh-up run over 1000m on August 20.
‘‘There’s not much around for our sprinters for a few months here whereas there’s a suitable race almost every week over in Melbourne,’’ McKee said.
Tim and Margaret Carter will head to the Te Teko trials with their Makfi bound duo, Farm Boy and Battle Time.
Battle Time may tackle the Foxbridge along the way while Farm Boy will be at all three days of the Hawke’s Bay carnival with a long range plan to be at Riccarton in November for the NZ Cup.
Farm Boy’s last run was in the Avondale Cup in February when he was beaten into third by Sacred Master and King Kamada. Farm boy won the race the previous year.
‘‘He’s a little behind at the moment but a trial should bring him on,’’Tim Carter said. ‘‘He’s progressing well.’’
‘‘Battle Time had a couple of weeks off after his Tauranga win and is jumping out of his skin.
‘‘I think we will have to go to the Foxbridge to have him ready to take on the big guns like Makfi.’’
Battle Time ran third in last year’s Hawke’s Bay Guineas.