Manawatu swansong for Let Her Rip
Talented mare Let Her Rip will close out her New Zealand career at Saturday’s Manawatu meeting.
She will make her final appearance in the Listed Bramco Granite & Marble Flying Handicap (1400m) at Awapuni.
“She’ll take her place and a few days after that she’s on a plane to Sydney where she’ll be sold,” trainer Shaune Ritchie said.
“She’ll be joined in the sale by Snow Secret and we’d expect them to both fetch nice prices.”
Let Her Rip, whose five wins feature the Group 3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m), hasn’t raced since December but the Rip Van Winkle five-year-old signalled her readiness for the weekend with a recent placing in a 1000m heat at the Taupo trials.
“We know she’s always gone her best races fresh, she’s very effective first-up,” Ritchie said.
“This year’s edition of the Flying Handicap looks like it will be quite strong and any rain will help her. I think she’ll run well though.” Like Let Her Rip, Snow Secret has won five races and also made her mark at black type level.
The Sakhee’s Secret six-year-old’s resume includes a runner-up finish in the Group 3 Waikato Cup (2400m) and in the Listed Jakkalberry Classic (1950m). She was also third in the Listed Feilding Gold Cup (2100m) and ran fourth in the Group 2 Wellington Cup.
Meanwhile, the Listed Southland Guineas (1600m) winner Global Thinking and the promising Swisswatch, the winner of two of his six starts, remain in the mix for trips to the Queensland winter carnival.
“We’re just working out which three-year-old races they run in here first, they would probably both need to win to justify going to Brisbane,” Ritchie said.