Redefine shoots for fourth consecutive win for Rachael Frost
THREE-YEAR-OLD gelding Redefine is seeking its fourth consecutive win for local trainer Rachael Frost at Otaki on Saturday.
The son of Captain Rio was a winner on debut last October, but went on a dry spell of seven runs without a win. That run came to an end in June when it won by 1.5 lengths at Wingatui and two quality wins have followed.
It scored a win on its home track over the highly-talented Highbrook and followed that up with a stellar 1.8-length win at Hastings last start when stepping up to rating 75 grade.
Frost was considering taking the gelding to Riccarton for the Winter Cup meeting early next month, but with conditions expected to be very heavy, Frost has opted to stick with the North Island circuits.
“I was going to go down to Riccarton, but the forecast is terrible, so I won’t bother,” Frost told HorseBetting.com.au. “I might try Te Rapa next week.
“He’s travelled down there before, but I’m just worried about how wet it will be.”
Despite winning three straight, Frost believes Redefine might need the run at Otaki on Saturday as it drops back in distance.
“He might just need the run and the track being too heavy is my biggest concern,” she said. “He doesn’t mind it heavy, but it’s bucketing down at the moment.”
Redefine looked calm when leading throughout last start, but Frost doesn’t believe it will need to apply the same tactics again.
“It doesn’t matter (if it goes forward), he doesn’t seem to care, but you can’t bustle him as he pulls a bit,” Frost said. “If he leads he leads on his own will and if it gets back it doesn’t matter.”
Lemi Hemi returns to the saddle and replaces Johnathan Parkes, who had ridden Redefine to victory last start.
“I did promise Johnathan the ride, but I was late in making up my mind and he already had another ride,” Frost explained.
“There were a couple of runs before he started winning when he didn’t get very good rides.”
Frost did lay caution to punters that three-year-old might not be in tip-top shape for its run on Saturday.
“He’s a big fat thing, so he could need the run,” she said.
Frost also lines up promising filly Kate Louise ($11 at Bet365.com) in the $50,000 Ryder Stakes having finished second behind the talented Astor last time to the races.
“She’ll cop the track, but she’s still learning and we’re still learning about her a bit,” Frost said. “I’d rather she learnt to settle like she did last start, but whether she’ll do that over 1200m is the question.”
Frost is hoping to see the daughter of Swiss Ace just in behind the speed and it’s only a slight-framed type.
“She breathes a lot better if you can get her in behind a couple,” Frost said. “She’s a nice filly, but she’s little.
“That’s why I claimed off her, but going into a stakes race there’s no point having a claimer on.”