As the busy season looms for Ruakaka, local trainer Chris Gibbs is looking forward to competing for home track spoils in the coming months after attending meetings at Taupo and Pukekohe Park this week.
While many trainers further down the country opt to spell horses in search of better tracks in the spring, Gibbs does the opposite with the reality of Ruakaka’s ‘winterless north’ suiting his well-performed pair of Cakebytheocean and Chevron.
“We keep more horses in during this time, going right back to when I trained with Donna and Dean (Logan) for years. They kept those horses in that didn’t handle the wet tracks specifically for the meetings up here,” Gibbs said.
A son of Ocean Park, Cakebytheocean has delivered five victories and six minor placings from 23 attempts, and Gibbs hopes to see the gelding back to that form on Saturday at Pukekohe in the Open 1500m.
“I don’t think he really goes that well left-handed so I’m just putting a line through the run he did at Te Rapa. Each time I’ve sent him that way he hasn’t seem to run very well, so I’ll just try to stick to the right-handed tracks,” he said.
“With Ellerslie out of action and Avondale and Dargaville gone, there aren’t a huge amount of options for him, but hopefully we’ll get a better result at Pukekohe.
“He’s done this before, taken a couple of runs before he gets going so Saturday will give us a better idea of where we are headed with him.
“Hopefully he can show his older form, and he’ll be aimed towards the ITM Stayer’s Final in July over 2100m. As he’s gotten older, he’s been looking for a bit more distance so I’m looking forward to that.”
Gibbs has adopted a similar path to last season with well-performed six-year-old Chevron, competing in the earlier part of the spring before targeting home track features in the winter, culminating in a narrow second-place finish in the ITM Stayer’s Final (2100m) last July.
The son of El Roca has been off the scene since the Group 3 Counties Cup (2100m) in November and will commence a new campaign at the Ruakaka meeting on June 8.
“Chevron is a horse I have a lot of time for, he’ll step out in the Open 1400 up here and he’ll be in good order once he hits the track, he’ll go into it fresh without a trial,” Gibbs said.
Prior to the Pukekohe meeting, his trio of Pure Delight, Vita Amorosa and Kitzkah will represent the stable at Taupo on Wednesday, with the latter lining up in the Pike Racing – Tony Pike (1400m).
“She’s been in lovely form, we tried her over the mile last time and she just was found a little bit wanting. She’s got a nice draw (7), I thought that was probably a bit dictator last time, so I’d like to see her ridden a fraction quieter,” Gibbs said.
“I’d like to see her three-back and one-out with a bit of luck and hopefully we’ll see her running on a bit more this time, but I’m happy with her.”
Darci Brahma mare Pure Delight has accumulated four second placings and three thirds in her venture to break maidens, which Gibbs hopes she can achieve in the Joe Yorke Bloodstock (2000m).
“It’s been pretty frustrating trying to get that win out of her honestly, she’s one of the more consistent maideners in the country and I would’ve liked to get that out of the way a while ago but here we are,” he said.
“I’d be a little bit wary of running if we got too much rain but it looks okay, she’s in good order and the trip away should do her good.
“I chatted to Lynsey (Satherley, jockey) after Vita Amorosa’s run last time over a mile and she said to keep persisting, and since we’ve put her over ground in her work she’s grown another leg.
“I’d like to think the 2000m would see a bit more out of her, because she’s been disappointing, there’s no denying that.”
The extended closure of the Brynderwyn Hills highway has put further distance on the journey to Auckland and Waikato meetings, a factor Gibbs hopes won’t play a part on upcoming nominations at Ruakaka.
“Once the races start in June, it’ll be good. It’s frustrating with the Brynderwyns still being closed, but I’d imagine it’s just as frustrating for those travelling up for us having to go down,” Gibbs said.
“Going through the winding round and adding time on isn’t great for the horses, but that’s what we get every time we go away to anywhere.
“It may well sway them away from coming which is unfortunate for our club, but that’s the way it is.
“There’s lots of things happening with the club so I’d love to see plenty of people supporting it if they can, especially building towards the ITM Finals in July.”
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