Saturday will prove to be a lucrative day for the winning connections of the Southern Cups Bonus Series as it comes to a head in the Kennedy Building Riverton Cup (2147m).
Robert Dennis is intent on ensuring his owners scoop the $50,000 winner takes all bonus, with the Ascot Park trainer currently sitting in pole position in the series with his mare Loftys Gift (NZ) (Ghibellines) (eight points) following her win in the Listed Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) and runner-up performance in the Gore Cup (2000m).
She subsequently trekked north to Riccarton where she was runner-up in last month’s Gr.3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) before disappointing when beating just the one runner home in last Saturday’s $350,000 Southern Alps Challenge (1600m).
Dennis is wary of the quick back-up but remains confident of a bold showing this weekend.
“She’s on a one-week back-up after running second-to-last in the Southern Alps, but she has only been beaten by five lengths,” Dennis said. “We had to have a go for the money that was on offer and unfortunately the track was just a bit firm for her liking.
“Hopefully that hasn’t taken too much out of her and she should front-up well.”
Stablemate Sacred Dream (NZ) (Sacred Falls) is hot on Loftys Gift’s heels in the series, currently sitting second equal on five points following her win in the Wyndham Cup (2200m) last start.
She hasn’t been sighted on raceday since that run early last month, but Dennis said he has kept her up to the mark with a pleasing jumpout victory.
“We didn’t race her in-between the Wyndham Cup and this,” Dennis said. “We gave her a jumpout, which she won quite well, and everything seems to be on track with her, she looks great.”
With double the points on offer in the Riverton Cup (1st – 10 points, 2nd – 6 points, 3rd – 4 points, 4th – 2 points), the series will come right down to the wire this weekend.
On the undercard, Dennis is set to line-up The Hangover (NZ) (Zacinto) in the Riverton Butchery Aparima Handicap (1200m) after he finished runner-up behind Go Lotte (NZ) (Telperion) in the Beaumont Cup (1500m) at Wingatui last month.
“It was a massive run in the Beaumont Cup,” Dennis said. “Coming back to 1200m we are purposefully spacing his runs, he seems to go much better like that. It is a reasonably strong field, so he is going to have to be good to be competitive.”
Stablemate Medina (NZ) (American Pharoah) is second on the ballot in the same race, so will likely take her place in the Riverton Rural Transport Francolin Stakes (1400m), where she has drawn barrier nine.
“She’s fresh,” Dennis said. “She was just feeling her fetlock joint after her last run in January so hopefully we are on top of all of that. She seems to go quite well in a fresh state, so I expect a big run from her.”
Dennis also holds high hopes for Lemon Curd (NZ) (Per Incanto) and Vino Valentino (NZ) (Zacinto) in the Aparima Restaurant And Bar (1600m), while he will have a three-pronged attack in the Bupa Care Services Excellency Stakes (1100m) courtesy of Azilee Star (NZ) (Tivaci), Here’s Loosie (NZ) (Turn Me Loose), and Melo (NZ) (Per Incanto).
“Lemon Curd is a good horse, but it might be a bit wet for her,” Dennis said. “Vino Valentino has been working very well and we will possibly run her on the Saturday and the Monday, we will just see how that goes. Wherever she goes she will run well.
“We have got three in the two-year-old race that are all good chances. Melo has the blinkers on, which will sharpen her right up. It will be a big learning curve for Azilee Star, and Here’s Loosie is a first starter by Turn Me Loose who won a jumpout a couple of weeks ago quite easily, so we expect her to run well.”
There is plenty of prizemoney up for grabs at Riverton, enhanced by the Southern Cups Bonus, and Dennis is looking forward to heading to the Southland meeting on Saturday.
“It’s a meeting to target to try and get a good financial return for owners,” he said. “We aim some of our better horses at these races and it’s a real incentive to race down here in Southland.
“We have got two mares going for the bonus and hopefully we can take it home.”