Moor could hardly ask for anything more
Classy field entered for Avondale Cup
Melbourne jockey Daniel Moor has picked up the plum ride on Australian-trained Ockham’s Razor in the group three race for 2-year-olds at New Plymouth on Saturday.
Ockham’s Razor won the $1 million Karaka Million (1200m) at Ellerslie on January 29 in his first start in New Zealand after being flown in from Melbourne especially for the race.
The Any Suggestions colt has remained in New Zealand with a view to contesting further group races on this side of the Tasman, starting with the $75,000 Platinum Homes 2YO Classic (1200m) at Taranaki on Saturday.
Moor will be replacing leading Melbourne hoop Craig Williams, who was aboard Ockham’s Razor in the colt’s impressive Karaka Million victory.
Williams has commitments in Australia this weekend that prevents him from riding the horse.
Moor has ridden 40 winners in Victoria this season and is among the top 20 on the riders’ premiership ladder in the state, his mounts having won just over $500,000 in prizemoney.
“(Daniel) has ridden quite a few winners for us at bush meetings and he’s been hardworking and rides a lot of work for us, so hopefully he can reap the rewards on Saturday,” Freedman stable spokeswoman Hillary yesterday said.
It will be a fleeting visit to New Zealand for Moor, who will arrive in Auckland on Friday, head to New Plymouth and be back in Melbourne on Sunday.
“There won’t be any time for celebrating as he has to ride at Bendigo on Sunday,” Fleming said.
Ockham’s Razor has been stabled on the property of Cambridge trainer Murray Baker since his Karaka Million success.
The striking grey colt has thrived since winning the Karaka Million, according to Fleming.
“He has no issues. He pulled up really well after the Karaka Million and still has the zest for
Fleming galloping. So while he’s like that we’ll just continue on.”
Ockham’s Razor was a $170,000 buy from last year’s Karaka yearlings sales.
The colt has already won $567,075 from just two starts, having finished second in an 1100m dash at Caulfield on debut early last month.
Nominations closed for the Taranaki premier meeting yesterday and both feature races on the 10 race card – the $80,000 Hooker Pacific Taranaki Cup (1800m) and Platinum Homes 2YO Classic –have drawn strong line ups.
The final fields with barrier draws will be declared today. A quality field of stayers has been entered for Saturday’s group two $85,000 Avondale Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie.
Group one winner Booming heads the field for Awapuni trainer Jeff Lynds, who will consider backing up the former Auckland Cup runner-up a week after his eighth placing in an unsuitably run group one Darci Brahma International Stakes at Te Rapa.
Sum Up, who ran sixth in the International Stakes, is also among the 18 Avondale Cup entries, along with New Zealand Cup winner Blood Brotha, New Zealand and Wellington cupsplaced The Jungle Boy, Auckland Cup-placed Castle Heights, City Of Auckland Cup winner Single Minded, last year’s runner-up Innocent Lady and Wisecrack.
New Zealand Derby favourite Silent Achiever heads the entries for the group two $85,000 Avondale Guineas (2100m).
A total of 14 entries were received for the Guineas, including Shuka, Carrick, Travolta, Mr Chez, Guess What, Viking Ace and Nine Pin.
Meanwhile, the Stephen Mckeetrained Knight’s Tour was yesterday withdrawn from the group one New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on March 3 with a tendon injury suffered in his win on Karaka Million night at Ellerslie last month, when he was galloped on in the running. New Zealand Derby hopeful Red Shift was yesterday the focus of attention during trackwork at Matamata.
Francesca Cumani, the daughter of top European trainer Luca Cumani, rode the Regan Donnison-trained Red Shift in trackwork and gave prominent Australian owner Terry Henderson her nod of approval to go ahead with a deal to buy the 3-year-old.
Otaki bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo said a deal that would see Red Shift do his future racing in Australia was close to being finalised with one of the conditions being that he remains with Donnison till after the Derby.