Shaune Ritchie couldn’t have wished for a smoother run with Tuxedo into Saturday’s $1.25 million Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).
The Cambridge horseman, who trains with Colm Murray, has enjoyed a trouble-free run with the well-named son of Tivaci and Ball Gown ahead of Saturday’s Trackside-sponsored feature.
“It’s getting harder to find the negatives around him, I suppose if you’re being picky then the traditional lead-up would have been the Avondale Guineas (Group 2, 2100m),” Ritchie said.
Tuxedo hasn’t raced since he romped to victory in the Group 2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) at Te Rapa in early February.
“We felt he was fit enough and didn’t need it, and I gave John Bary a call and he did the same thing with Jimmy Choux,” Ritchie said.
“It’s not like it’s not doable, I understand it’s against normal things, but we felt he didn’t need another run on a hard track at Ellerslie two weeks before the Derby when he’d already excelled in the Waikato Guineas.
“We’re very happy with how he’s come through everything, and he went up to Ellerslie yesterday (Monday) for a gallop and that has topped him off beautifully.”
Like all his rivals, Tuxedo will head into unchartered waters over 2400m, and Ritchie is as confident as he can be that his charge will master the Classic distance.
“An extra 400m is a big step and we’re not underestimating that and there are horses such as probably Bourbon Proof and Thedoctoroflove who look almost certain to run the mile and a-half,” he said.
“I think we’ve got the best turn of foot in the race and that’s a massive factor, if he does run the trip out then I doubt there’s going to be a horse with a quicker last sectional than our bloke, based on his Waikato Guineas performance.
“He is only in his first prep and that weighs on our mind as well, which is another reason we missed the Avondale Guineas and that was certainly by design. We’ve got him spot on for the weekend.”
Tuxedo has posted three wins and two runner-up finishes from his five appearances, all in the hands of Joe Doyle who will again take the reins on Saturday.
“He’s been remarkably consistent and ran into a very in-form Willydoit and he beat us fair and square and of course Damask Rose came from behind and beat him in the Karaka Millions (1600m),” Ritchie said.
“He was beaten by two very good ones when he has been defeated and his three wins have been spectacular, so he’s never gone to the races and let us down.”
Should Tuxedo perform up to expectations at Ellerslie, the focus may then turn to Australia.
“We were thinking that missing the Avondale Guineas would also set us up much better to be able to progress to Sydney for the ATC Derby (Group 1, 2400m) and that be his last run this prep,” Ritchie said.
Tuxedo is raced by majority Auckland owner Grant Barnett, and friends, who purchased him out of breeder Waikato Stud’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $70,000.
“He’s had a Group One winner with me before in Magic Cape (Group 1, New Zealand 2000 Guineas) and he’s raced some very nice horses, but Tuxedo looks like he could be better than all of them,” Ritchie said.
“Grant deserves the accolades because he found him and then we looked at the horse and gave him the thumbs up.
“We also went to the Inglis Classic Sale and bought (for $130,000) Tuxedo’s half-sister by Super Seth so we’ve got her in the paddock.”
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