Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray took out the 2023 edition of the A$304,000 Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool with Nassak Diamond, and on Sunday they will be seeking to usurp their former stable runner in the marathon feature with Tempest Moon.
Ritchie is in Australia with the daughter of Turn Me Loose, who like Nassak Diamond, carries the familiar silks of owner The Oaks Stud.
The Cambridge trainer is excited to be back in Warrnambool and said the city gets in behind the race that honours past servicemen.
“It is a fantastic week here,” Ritchie said. “They have the light infantry go through town and when Nassak Diamond won, Colm, Rick (Williams, The Oaks Stud general manager) and I all got a kick out of it because they play the last post, there are 8,000 people on course and nobody says a word, it is eery. They really show a lot of respect to their returned serviceman, as do we.
“It is a unique race being three miles and when Nassak Diamond won it two years ago I wasn’t sure if there was another lap to go or not.
“It is nice to come over here with a New Zealand-trained horse again and have another go.”
The five-year-old mare has won just one of her 13 starts to date, but Ritchie believes she will lap up the marathon distance and has taken heart from her last two runs, where she was fourth at Taupo over 2600m before finishing runner-up to I’m A Dirty Rascal in the NZB Airfreight Road To The Jericho (3000m) at Riccarton.
“She profiles as the right style of horse, she wanted to go another lap again after the winning post at Riccarton and at Taupo in her last couple of starts,” Ritchie said.
While confident in his charge, Ritchie believes Nassak Diamond is the horse to beat in the race, having won over two miles earlier this month.
“You are taking on a great deal of jumping style horses over here, but the one to beat might be The Oaks Stud’s other horse, Nassak Diamond, who is with Michelle and Paddy Payne now,” he said.
“Either way, if The Oaks Stud win the race, we will be having a drink on a Sunday night.”
-Loveracing.nz news desk
