Black-type option for smart maiden winner
Cambridge trainer Shaune Ritchie doesn’t know where maiden winner Magic Condor sits in the pecking order of three-year-old fillies, but is happy to find out in Saturday’s Group 3 Partners Life Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie.
“She’s going to run in the Soliloquy and she’s going to be competitive,” Ritchie said.
“From what I’m reading through the press, Melt’s not certain to run and with Xpression campaigning in the South Island, all of a sudden it looks like a race that’s within the range of these types of fillies.”
Magic Condor’s victory at Ruakaka earlier in the month came at her season debut and despite getting an economical rails run, was a cosy winner on the line.
“She really has come on from that first-up win,” Ritchie said.
“She’s in that group of horses that when they come out of maidens you just don’t know how good they are or aren’t, there’s only one way to find out and that’s to throw them in.
“She still holds a nom for the One Thousand Guineas but she’d want to be highly competitive in the Soliloquy to justify a trip.
“We’ll leave her in there till after Saturday and make a call from there. I believe she’s up to black-type, whether she needs more practice or not I guess that’s the question.”
Meanwhile, Ritchie is pleased with his Group 1 winner Devise who is likely to trial at Te Aroha on Thursday.
“She’s come up great and she looks stronger than she’s ever been.
“We just want to stick to the fillies & mares weight-for-age races as much as possible.”
The Group 2 Dunstan Feeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe in late November and the Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa in mid December are the initial targets.
“Her long-range aim will be the Herbie Dyke Stakes (Group 1, 2000m), with the Rich Hill Mile (Group 2, 1600m) and Thorndon Mile (Group 1, 1600m) possible options along the way.”