Robbie Patterson will chase further southern spoils at Riccarton Park on Saturday, with promising filly It’s Doris contesting the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m).
Patterson’s last two trips across the Cook Strait have been highly successful, with subsequent Group One winner Puntura collecting the Gr.3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) during New Zealand Cup Week, and Regal Dice winning the Kumara Gold Nuggets (1810m) in January.
A daughter of Telperion, It’s Doris debuted in late November and has put together a consistent record in her seven outings, including two victories and a fourth-placed effort in the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m).
The filly secured her place in Saturday’s 18-horse field when justifying favouritism over 1400m at Otaki on April 1, and Patterson indicated the forecast Canterbury rain would assist her chances.
“She won the 65 pretty dominantly the other day, and the blinkers will go on this week as she can get to the front and loaf a bit,” he said.
“She hasn’t gone down for the scenery, she’s there to be competitive. Any rain won’t worry her, if anything that will help her chances especially from the draw (13).
“She naturally jumps well, so she’ll roll forward and hopefully slot into a nice position.”
Northern-based jockey Courtney Barnes will partner each of Patterson’s five runners at Riccarton, including talented mare The Hottie, who will have a final lead-in to next Saturday’s Listed Great Easter Stakes (1400m) in the Angus Meats Open Handicap (1200m).
“I was going to trial her on Tuesday at Foxton, but she’s going for the Listed 1400m next Saturday, so I thought she may as well run for some money,” Patterson said.
“She’ll be winding up late if she can get a nice spot and attacking the line hard, but 1200m may be a touch short for her. Her main target will come the following week.”
The Mistress would also benefit from a downgrade in track conditions, as the daughter of Derryn contends with an outside draw (17) in the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Rating 75 (1400m).
“She’s got a tricky draw, but she’s a horse that jumps well and the off-ground will really suit her,” Patterson said.
“She’ll be a bit of a weapon in the mud this year I think, so as long we get a bit of rain, she should be very competitive. She’s a nice animal that can go right through the grades, especially during the winter.”
Patterson will also engage Maolla Miss in the Angus ‘Schawsy’ Shaw 30th Fizzer Rating 65 (1600m) and Wisemen’s Diva in the Rohan Mudhoo Trust Fundraising Now Maiden (1200m), both also drawing wide alleys.
“Maolla Miss will need rain, but if she gets that, she will be very competitive. She ran nicely first-up and got home strong so the mile will suit. The wide draw won’t be a worry as she naturally gets back anyway,” Patterson said.
“Wisemen’s Diva has had a couple of runs for me and been good, that little bit of rain won’t worry her either, she’d be pretty hard to beat if that comes.”
Closer to his New Plymouth base, Patterson will line-up five contenders across two races at Otaki on Saturday.
Well-performed mare Contribute will prepare for a tilt at the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) on April 27, a race Regal Dice may also contest after the Cavallo Farms & Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1600m).
“Contribute trialled up well and any rain won’t worry her. At that weight over a mile in a fresh state (56.5kg), she should be very competitive,” Patterson said.
“Contribute will go to the Travis Stakes all going well through this race, and Regal Dice could put her hand up as well.
“She (Regal Dice) is fresh-up and may need the run, but she goes well at Otaki and an off-track won’t be a concern. She could be a nice place chance at pretty good money.”
Lightly-raced six-year-old The Fearless One will complete Patterson’s trio in the open mile, the talented Australian Group Three-performer having just his 14th start in a muddled career due to wind issues.
“He’s got heaps of ability, he placed in a President’s Cup, ran in the Brisbane Cup, and then went in the wind, so that’s altered his career a little bit.
“He’s come back well and ran home strongly first-up, then he had a viral complaint so had a while between runs, so he trialled the other day and went nicely at Foxton.
“Ciel (Butler, jockey) knows the horse well and gets a couple of kilos off (52kg), as long as it doesn’t get too heavy would be the only query. The Soft7 range would be fine, he’ll get back but he’ll be storming home in the finish.
“He’s a horse with a lot of ability, and on his day, he’ll be pretty competitive in this race.
“It’s getting a bit late in the season for him, even though he’s had no racing, because he won’t run in the heavy tracks. We may even look to go up to Ruakaka for a couple of runs through the winter to keep him ticking over, and then a short break before the spring.”
Redwood mare The Dutch Dame will continue her build into winter racing in the Vets On Riverbank Handicap (1400m) alongside Bow Hill, who Patterson also holds in high regard.
“1400m is too short for her (The Dutch Dame), but we’ve got to start her somewhere and get fitness into her ahead of the winter,” he said.
“Bow Hill is a very nice horse, but we’ve just had a few problems with her.
“She won nicely early on, then just went off the ball her next couple of starts, so we spelled her and brought her back.
“She went super fresh-up, and I expect the same on Saturday especially with a bit of rain about with the blinkers going on.”
