Warrnambool raider Rolls’ New Zealand campaign hasn’t got off to the best of starts, but trainer Maddie Raymond and jockey Harry Grace are hoping that changes at Matamata on Wednesday.
The eight-year-old gelding crossed the Tasman to target the last two legs of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival, kicking off in the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m), which was set to take place at Hastings last Saturday.
However, the stable were struck with two pieces of bad luck last week, which began with Rolls failing to make the final field for the Group One feature, much to the dismay of his camp.
“It is really frustrating, especially for the owners,” Raymond said. “It is an expensive journey to get the horse over here. We were expecting to be racing for decent prizemoney at Group One status, so it is very disappointing to be over here and not be in that position.”
The son of Anacheeva was then set to take his place in an open handicap at Hastings on Saturday before the meeting was abandoned as a result of a slip in the first race.
The remainder of the meeting has been transferred to Matamata on Wednesday where Rolls remains second on the ballot for the Arrowfield Stud Plate, while he is assured of a start in the Team Wealleans Premier (2000m), where he has drawn barrier six.
While the extra travel north to Matamata from their temporary New Zealand base at Otaki isn’t ideal, Raymond said her charge is a seasoned traveller and he will be ideally suited by the Soft track conditions at the northern venue.
“He will be a seasoned traveller by the time he is finished,” Raymond quipped. “He is a pretty good traveller.
“He had drawn a little bit sticky at Hastings. We have drawn a lot better at Matamata and a softer track is going to suit him. He probably only has to run up to his mark in Australia to hopefully being very competitive in that race.”
While Rolls needs a couple of scratchings to make it into the Arrowfield Stud Plate field, Raymond has her fingers-crossed that he will be met by a different fate in next week’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m).
The feature race is set to take place at Hastings on October 12, 10 days after Matamata’s contest, but the short turnaround doesn’t pose any concerns for Raymond.
“He’s not guaranteed a start in the Livamol now either, which will be super frustrating for connections if we don’t run in either of the Group One races,” she said.
“He has had a lot of races in Australia with very small gaps between runs, so the 10 days doesn’t worry me at all. I think he is ready for 2000m anyway.”
While frustrated by the trip, Raymond said Rolls has thrived on it and she expects a bold run from him on Wednesday.
“I think he has thrived since he has been over here,” she said. “I have never seen the horse looking as good as what he looks at the moment. Hopefully that is a positive sign going into Wednesday.”
Rolls will be ridden by his regular rider Harry Grace, who crossed the Tasman with the intent of having his first Group One ride.
The 25-year-old hoop has formed a great association with Rolls, highlighted by their victory in the Listed Warrnambool Cup (2350m) last year, and he is hoping that will continue this week.
While disappointed to have missed a guaranteed start in Wednesday’s feature, Grace is looking at the silver lining and is just grateful to be riding his favourite horse in New Zealand.
“I have travelled a lot for this horse, he has always been good to me,” Grace said. “I have won four or five races on him back home now. He gave me my Warrnambool Cup.
“The second they said they were looking at a New Zealand trip, it didn’t matter if it was a Group One or an Open Handicap, I was always going to come over for him.”
Grace hails from a jockey family and is hoping he can tick off his first Group One ride during his New Zealand trip.
“My whole family have been jockeys at some stage in their life,” he said. “Both of my parents and all three of my brothers. Dad is a trainer now and my older brother is still a licensed jockey.
“Last season I had a good run in town (Melbourne), I placed on Ferago in the Herbert Power (Gr.2, 2400m) during the spring.
“This will be my first ride in a Group One, so hopefully he can get a run on Wednesday or 10 days later (Livamol Classic).”
Grace said he has picked up a couple of other rides at the mid-week meeting as well as at Hawera on Saturday, where he is set to ride the Allan Sharrock-trained Sumi in the Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m).
“I have got some nice rides,” he said. “I was going to have four rides on Saturday, and it looks like I will have two or three on Wednesday still. I have got a nice ride on Sumi in the stakes race at Hawera, so I am really looking forward to that.”
