The connections of The Grey Goose had a healthy payday when the daughter of Reliable Man took out the $200,000 ODT Southern Mile Final (1600m) at Wingatui earlier this month, and they are hoping she is on target for another.
The Jo-Ann Gordon-trained four-year-old gained a golden ticket into next month’s $350,000 Southern Alps Challenge (1600) at Riccarton with her last start victory and will head to Riverton on Friday to see if she is up to the mark in the Bupa Care Services Francolin Stakes (1400m).
“She needs to put on a good show before we go to Christchurch,” Gordon said. “If she is disappointing then she will just go to the paddock, you wouldn’t go up there unless you were in with a pretty good show.”
The Riverton track was rated a Heavy10 on Thursday morning and Gordon said that will be to her mare’s liking.
“It looks like it is going to be a Heavy10 at Riverton on Saturday, so that will mean they don’t go quick early, so she should find it easier to keep a bit closer to the field,” she said.
“She seems to run on any track and the wonderful thing she has got is that very good turn of foot.
“She is as bright as a button and enjoying the rain. I am happy with her going into the race, but it is a step-up in class.”
That step-up in class is Gordon’s major concern ahead of Saturday, labelling 11-win mare Emanon as their biggest threat under the set weights and penalties conditions of the race.
“With them all being on the same weight, I think Emanon will be very hard to beat. But we still expect The Goose to go a good race,” she said.
A Gavelhouse.com graduate, The Grey Goose has won four of her 12 starts to date and nearly $180,000 in prizemoney, but Gordon expects there is more to come from her mare.
“I think the owner paid $2,000 for her as a weanling off Gavelhouse. We had the half-sister (Mother Goose) that we really liked but she got hurt in the paddock. He has had a very good return on his $2,000,” she said.
“She is a really nice horse and she is just that much stronger this year. In my opinion, she will be a better horse next year because she is just not quite there yet.
“She goes well over a mile, but I think in time as she gets stronger again, she is going to be better suited to 2000m, especially on the firmer tracks.”
Gordon will also line-up last start placegetter Sutherland in the Ashford Motor Lodge Christchurch Porakino Handicap (2147m) and No Bouquet in the Forde Winders Shearing/Riverton Butchery Fairfax Handicap (1200m).
“No Bouquet went to the jumpouts on Monday and trialled really well,” Gordon said. “Initially I was going to put her in the 1400m on the Monday, but I just felt with the wet track it is just going to be too far for her.
“She came home really well over 1000m at Invercargill with no real pressure. She seems to race well at Riverton so she should be a good show.
“Sutherland looks the obvious thing on paper (in his race), but he hasn’t liked Riverton in the past, he has been quite disappointing there.
“Last start her went huge and only went down by one length in the Open staying race. You would think in a 65 2147m, and he does run on a wet track, he would be okay. The only question mark with him is the Riverton track.”
Looking ahead to Riverton’s Easter Monday meeting, Gordon will line-up David Moss in the Flippin’ Fresh Fish/TNT Morris Dairies Longwood Handicap (2147m) and Chuggatai in the TRENZ Homes/MacAulay Motors (1600m).
“David Moss had his first crack over 2000m at Gore last time. He was coming home nicely but got badly interfered with about 70m out from the post. He finished two lengths off the winner and it was a nice enough run. He goes well at Riverton,” Gordon said.
“Chuggatai has been given a short spell and is coming back up fresh. We have changed the way we train him, he works off the lead and it seems to be working for him, and we are hoping to see improvement from him on Monday.”