Gingernuts gearing up for Melbourne’s spring
THE three-year-old export Gingernuts was arguably one of New Zealand’s best performing gallopers across the Tasman, and the gun runner is ready to strike in the spring after a quality break.
The Rosehill Guineas winner has spelled exceptionally well ahead of a spring programme revolving around the Group One Caulfield Cup.
Trainer Stephen Autridge believes Gingernuts is one of the most talented horses he has come across.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a horse improve as much as he did,” Autridge said.
“He was battling away at the easier race meetings, Stratford and Te Teko, but as soon as we stepped him up over ground he found his niche and his confidence grew with it.
The trainer believes the unassuming nature of the horse makes it hard to predict just how much more improvement it has within.
“He’s a horse that won the Avondale Guineas, our Derby and the Rosehill Guineas and wasn’t under any stress to win them so we wouldn’t know what we’ve really got next season until we step him up against the best older horses.”
Off the back of his heroics this year, Gingernuts thrived during his break.
The trainer said punters will see a different horse once it returns.
“He’s put on 40kgs with his spell at Te Akau Stud and since he came back into work in May he’s been bouncing around like a two-year-old,” Autridge said.
“We’re rapt with the way he’s going and the way he looks. He has certainly improved.”
Autridge said that Gingernuts would more than likely have two trials before racing, the first of them on August 1 at Te Teko.
“We’re thinking he could run on the last two days of the Hawke’s Bay carnival and then go for the Caulfield Cup, but at the same time we are at the stage of looking through Melbourne programmes and we’ll take into account the path that recent Caulfield Cup winners have taken.”