Spratt a perfect partner for Ginja Ninja
Saturday week’s Opunake Cup is the next target for Cambridge mare Ginja Ninja, writes Aidan Rodley. A regular partnership with jockey Sam Spratt was a key component of Ginja Ninja’s current run of success, according to Cambridge trainer Ben Foote.
Spratt has ridden the Thorn Park four-year-old mare in each of her past four starts, twice finishing second at Ellerslie before winning at Tauranga last month and again in Saturday’s $ 25,000 Cal Isuzu 1150 at Te Awamutu.
Foote was full of praise for not only Spratt’s handling of Ginja Ninja, but also for her loyalty.
“I honestly believe Sam knowing the horse is the reason she’s going so well,” Foote said.
“She was having a different rider just about every start last preparation and I’m sure that was her downfall.
“She was pretty well within herself today and Sam rode her perfectly.”
Spratt settled Ginja Ninja off the pace, angling wide approaching the home turn and letting her mount loose in the home straight, the mare quickly asserting her superiority to score easily by 3½ lengths.
“She just found another gear,” Spratt said.
“A lot of winter gallopers just grind away but she’s got a really good turn of foot in the mud.”
Ginja Ninja’s win was her fifth from 30 starts and raised Foote’s hopes for an even better win this winter, citing the Listed $ 65,000 Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth on July 20 as her next target, ahead of a possible Gr III $100,000 Winter Cup (1600m) tilt at Riccarton on August 3.
“If she could do something in the Opunake Cup we’d have to look at the Winter Cup as well, but we’ll just see how she goes at New Plymouth first,” Foote said.
“I said to Sam beforehand, there’ll be a lot of pace on and she’ll come home strongly and that’s what happened. She was really in a mood today so I expected as much. She’s got a big heart, same as Cornelius.”
Cornelius won the previous race at Te Awamutu, paving the way for the double with Ginja Ninja.
It was the Spartacus three-year-old gelding’s second win in 14 starts and earned him a trip to New Plymouth as a travelling companion for Ginja Ninja, his aim the $ 25,000 1600m three-year-old event.
“He’s a big, strong horse and more ground is going to suit him,” Foote said.
Foote has had a big impact since his recent shift back to Cambridge after training from the South Auckland training track of Byerley Park for several years.
He said he needed to have 50 horses in training at Byerley Park to make that situation work and he was relishing the change of environment and managing a smaller team.
He had considered a training stint in South Korea but that fell through, leading him to decide between training in Australia or returning to Cambridge, through which family ties won out. He has stables at Grasslands Stud. Later, it was a case of Turkish delight in the $15,000 John F. Grylls Memorial Classic.
Turkish apprentice Mehmet Ulucinar claimed his first New Zealand win with a savvy race aboard the Wayne and Vanessa Hillis-trained The Muffin Man in the Te Awamutu 2000m Rating 85 event.
Ulucinar, 29, came to New Zealand 18 months ago to work for Matamata trainer Graham Richardson but transferred to the Hillises when Richardson took on Hong Kong apprentice Kei Chiong.
Ulucinar had ridden a winner in his native Turkey and two during a stint in Saudi Arabia before coming to New Zealand.
“This means everything to me. I’m very excited about this,” he said after Saturday’s win.
Ulucinar, who intends riding in New Zealand for at least the next three years, had The Muffin Man travelling well three back on the fence and slid forward down the back straight as Flavour Flav rolled off the fence and faded.
Black Tuxedo five-year-old gelding The Muffin Man challenged the leader D’Llaro soon after turning for home and came away to winning by 1¼ lengths.
D’Llaro held second, five lengths ahead of third-placed Sir Amron.
Favourite Pump Up The Volume made ground for fourth but lacked his usual dash.
The Muffin Man was having his fourth start for the Hillises, having earlier been prepared by Matamata’s Paul Marks, who shifted to Australia last year to work for leading trainer David Hayes.
Wayne Hillis said he had expected an improved run from The Muffin Man stepping up to 2000m.
“I thought it might be a bit puggy but he got through the ground and showed what he can do,” Hillis said.
“Paul Marks used to train by our stalls at Matamata and we had this horse at home for a bit so we knew him a bit before he joined us.
“He goes good for 4kg claimers. Our old apprentice [Thamil Arumugam] got his first win on this horse and of his six wins, five of them have been for 4kg claimers.”
Hillis said the Listed $ 80,000 Taumarunui Gold Cup (2100m) at Te Rapa on July 27 was a possible next target for The Muffin Man.
Hillis was delighted to win the John Grylls Memorial, having had a strong connection to the family.
He said his father Baggy rode alongside John Grylls, while he had ridden at the same time as John’s son Gary, who also rode Hillis’ first two Gr I winners.
Gary’s son Craig and daughter Bridget had also ridden winners for the stable, Hillis said.