Trainer Shaune Ritchie will be on a fact-finding mission with The Racketeer this weekend.
The Cambridge conditioner is campaigning the three-year-old gelding in Queensland and will test him over a mile for the first time in the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The son of Proisir showed plenty of promise in his homeland earlier in the season, posting three wins along with a fourth placing behind Cognito in the Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) in January.
Ritchie has been pleased with his gelding’s progress since arriving in Brisbane following a lengthy trip via Sydney.
“It is not the kind of carnival that you want to be flying into Sydney and floating up to Brisbane at the end of your prep because it can find you out pretty quickly. But he has handled it extremely well,” said Ritchie, who trains in partnership with Colm Murray.
“We gave him a nice freshen-up just after the Wellington Guineas, so it has prepared him well for that (travel).
“He is a powerful sort of horse and is quite intimidating in the birdcage.”
The Racketeer kicked off his Australian preparation with a ninth placing at Doomben before returning to the Brisbane track to finish runner-up over 1350m.
“He has really improved since he has been over here. His first run was a mixed effort and his last start he was very brave,” Ritchie said.
The Racketeer will have his first outing at Eagle Farm this weekend and Ritchie said his performance over the mile will dictate his future targets.
“He is obviously stepping up in class this Saturday and Yellow Brick looks a good thing in the race,” he said.
“We really want to find out if he is going to run a mile out this weekend so that we can start doing some planning for when he returns home for the New Zealand summer.
“If he runs super, we will run him in the Winx Guineas (Gr.3, 1600m); if he runs nice without winning and finds the mile a bit beyond him, there is a nice race in Sydney on the way home; and if he is disappointing, we will just bring him home and freshen him for sprints at home.”
While a question mark still surrounds the mile distance for The Racketeer, Ritchie said he couldn’t have him any better.
“He is in superb order,” he said. “I don’t think he has looked better since we have been here. In the last few days in particular, he has really brightened up.
“We are not expecting to beat the favourite, but we are expecting him to run really close.”
The Racketeer will jump from barrier six and will be ridden by expat Kiwi jockey Jason Collett.
“There is a little bit of a Kiwi connection,” Ritchie said.
“I know Opie Bosson and Michael McNab are over here, but we didn’t realise they were riding this weekend, so we went for the next best with an expat.
“I think he will suit him. I know he is better known for riding backmarkers, and he is an on-pace horse, but in order for him to run a mile, he needs some kind hands and Jason seems to be able to get them to settle really well.”
Meanwhile, back in New Zealand, Ritchie will line-up last start winner Roc Dancer in the Whangarei Passenger Services (1600m) at Ruakaka on Saturday.
“She is stepping up from maidens to 65. Not many do that, especially when they are searching for a reasonable track at Ruakaka. The fields usually hold up pretty strong this time of year up there,” Ritchie said.
“I think she will run well, but they usually take one at that level, so it will be interesting. According to Colm, she is working well, so I will take his word for it.”
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