Spring is here and the Ripple Creek team - a mix of youth and experience - is looking good to go in coming weeks. Covid restrictions haven’t held us back too much, and we’re currently working up to race fitness with probably our biggest number of on-track racehorses ever.
Racing this week
For racing this week we have five horses entered. First up a road trip to Invercargill beckons for Majestic Action and Rocknroll Diva, who will race at Ascot Park Raceway on Thursday 16th September.
Rocknroll Diva is knocking on the door of her maiden win, a horse who always runs an honest race. She comes off a third at Addington on 3rd September, and from the ace draw in Race 1 she should be right in the mix. Our number one stable driver Matty Williamson drives.
Majestic Action stuck on well to Mataderos last start at Addington, and in her third race back from a spell she should give the Fillies & Mares field in Race 7 a good shake. This week Molly will be driven by Mark Hurrell in the Prostate Cancer Foundation colours.
On to Sunday, and No Gee Ess Tee, Twilight Bromac and Reinimin Patron will all travel to Oamaru for the Hannon Memorial meeting. No Gee Ess Tee pleased her great bunch of owners immensely with her debut run at Addington last Friday, finishing 5th after tailing the field to the home turn. Her Oamaru competition doesn’t look particularly strong and from a much-improved draw we'd expect her to be right in the finish.
Twilight Bromac showed he’s ready to race with a nice all-the-way win at the Motukarara workouts last Saturday. A relative newcomer to the stable with just two starts in Trent's colours, the Art Major 3yo was close enough in both those races to show he has every right to greet the judge this prep. Drawn 4, Matty drives.
Reinimin Patron is another team member demonstrating consistency without quite being able to pull off a victory. The winner of one race in his career to date, John has paid a place dividend in five of his last six starts, so we’re all looking to him to double his winning count any time. Also drawn well at 4.
Ripple Creek at the trials
Backing up the on-field team we have another seven horses at various stages of trialling. Kusanova is back in preparation for another season of racing, a mare who gave her owners two wins and four placings last season. Nova is a stable favourite and we’re looking forward to another fun summer with her.
She’s Watching returns after a long injury layoff. Showing considerable promise until she was hurt when looking likely at Rangiora on Waitangi Day, Jossie is another one of our syndicated horses. Her owners have been patient as we’ve brought her back up slowly, and we’re all hoping for some better luck this season.
Ron McKinlay is also back. After an all-the-way debut victory at Addington in May he was turned out to develop further. The 3yo Bettor’s Delight gelding gets his chance to go on with it now, and we’re keenly looking forward to seeing what more he can do.
Taliesin is better than his 19-start maiden status would suggest. He came into the stable in May and in four starts for us has shown glimpses without any luck. He’s back in full work and ready to step up to the trials.
For the coming trials, that leaves our two-year-old contingent at various stages of preparation. After trialing several times last summer, the royally-bred Warhol showed us he needed more time to grow, and he’s done just that. Of all our horses, Andy’s prep was probably the most affected by Lockdown. He’s ready to go now and we can’t wait to see him back on the trials track.
Icee Styxie ran a really pleasing workout in her first trip off the property at Motukarara on Saturday, and the Bettor's Delight filly is shaping up well as her education continues.
Rounding off the current team is Aliberto, who trials for the first time this week at Rangiora. Like Warhol and Icee Styxie, Alberto went through the 2020 NZB Yearling Sales. Out of that fine race mare Carabella and trained by us for the Dancingonmoonlight crew, Aliberto is a nice type just starting out on the road to the races.
Wishing all our owners and supporters every success as the new harness racing season gets into full swing. And hoping for a return to Level I soon!