Michael and Matthew Pitman have made the journey from Canterbury to Trentham for many years with an abundance of success along the way, a trend they hope to continue on Saturday with Mystic Park (NZ) (Ocean Park) taking on the Listed Bill Tito Book Repair Specialist Lightning Handicap (1200m).
The father-son training partnership won the Lightning back in 2020 with Enzo’s Lad, a galloper that also won two editions of the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) at the champagne turf before campaigning in Hong Kong and England.
Mystic Park is the newest gun sprinter to come out of their Riccarton operation, with just 12 starts resulting in seven wins, including the Listed Stewards Stakes (1200m) during New Zealand Cup Week last November.
The son of Ocean Park was set for a tilt at the Telegraph in January, but a small setback forced the Pitmans to turn their focus to Saturday’s $130,000 contest.
“We’re really happy with him, he does a lot of his work with Third Decree and they’ve both been galloping well,” Michael Pitman said. “He’s got a good record fresh, so we’re optimistic.
“He just had a little problem earlier on and missed the Telegraph, so we’ve been working towards this.”
While a trip to the Queensland Winter Carnival is on the cards for Mystic Park, Pitman hopes the gelding can follow in Enzo’s Lad’s footsteps and travel up to the competitive Asian jurisdiction.
“I have nominated him for Hong Kong for the International Races at the end of April, it’s a long shot that he’d get invited but the same connections went up there with Enzo’s Lad, and if we got an invite, we would go,” he said.
“If we don’t, that’s not a big deal, but if he could win this race that would certainly help.”
Lightly-tried three-year-old Airpark Hustler (NZ) (War Decree) will also feature at the Oaks meeting, taking his place in the Gr.2 IRT Wellington Guineas (1400m). A winner in his delayed debut, Airpark Hustler went on to finish fourth in the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m), before a bold run into second behind Loose Sally in the Listed Dunedin Guineas (1600m) last-start.
“He’s a lovely horse, he went massive at Dunedin considering it was his third start,” Pitman said.
“He was down to have his first start as hot-favourite on the 28th of December at Timaru, but unfortunately he had problems going into the barrier which he’d never had issues with before. We had to go back to the trials before he went to the races which set him back a month.
“1400m may be short enough for him on Saturday, but he’s fresh enough as well. It’s drawn a much stronger field that we had anticipated, but he’s well and this is a very nice race for a good stake.
“They will work on Thursday morning before travelling up on Thursday afternoon. They’ll go for a walk and a pick on Friday, we don’t worry about working them up there.”
The stable will also chase feature success closer to home on Saturday, with Third Decree (NZ) (War Decree) and Epee Beel contesting the Gr.3 Donaldson Brown South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton.
Third Decree was a game runner-up to Acquarello in the Gr.3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) during Cup Week and filled the same spot behind Betty Spaghetti last-start at Ashburton.
“This will be the first time she steps up to 1600m, she went super the other day and was great during the Cup meeting,” Pitman said.
“With her rating, she gets in really well as the highest-rated horse in the field without a stakes win. We don’t think the mile will be a problem if she relaxes well and being drawn 15, she’ll get back anyway. She’s always shown a good turn-of-foot at the end of her races as long as she’s held up for one run.”
Epee Beel collected the biggest win of her career in last year’s Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) and finished fourth in the same lead-in run as her stablemate.
“It was just too short for her last-start but that was always a lead-in to this race,” Pitman said. “Had the track been wetter, that may have helped her.
“She doesn’t mind it wet, we have had a lot of rain but I’d imagine the track will improve a bit by Saturday. If it stayed similar, it would certainly help her chances.”
Promising three-year-old Eastandwest (NZ) (Charm Spirit) was a first-up winner for the stable at Ashburton last-start and they have opted to keep the son of Charm Spirit at six furlongs in the Go Racing Rating 65 (1200m).
“He was really impressive there, we had planned to go to the trials but after seeing the small field, we thought we would have a crack at a $40,000 race, which was effectively a great maiden to win” Pitman said.
“We tossed up whether to go up to 1400m, but off the way he’s working, we’ve opted to leave him at 1200 and claim the three kilos with Abdul Najib on. He’s drawn to get a nice run, so hopefully he gets a bit of luck.”
Of their remaining runners, Pitman is looking forward to the Seaton Family Memorial Hororata Gold Cup (1800m), featuring an in-form Proserve (NZ) (Proisir) carrying just 54kg under Samantha Wynne.
“I’m happy with Proserve, he’s come back really well this prep and had two fourths before running second the other day,” he said.
“He’s aiming at the Riverton Cup, but he’s shown that he can be competitive in open company at Riccarton. He’d have to be a lightweight chance.”
