The Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) may have a new home, but Cambridge horseman Shaune Ritchie is hoping his strong record in the race continues as he seeks his fourth title in the race on Saturday.
To be run at Ellerslie for the first time this weekend, the New Zealand Oaks was previously contested at Trentham where Ritchie won three editions of the fillies’ classic with Keep The Peace (2010), Artistic (2012) and Jennifer Eccles (2020).
Ritchie, and training partner Colm Murray, will be represented in this year’s edition by The Oaks Stud’s Tajana, and while pleased with his filly, history tells him she will have her work cut out for her this weekend.
“It is a race that we like to target with our fillies, and we have got a filly who is going to be in the thick end of things on Saturday,” Ritchie said.
“We have had horses going into the race in the past who looked the dominant filly, and the dominant filly generally wins the Oaks. That is why it is such a good race because it usually throws up the best filly. Unfortunately, Ohope Wins looks the dominant filly.
“Having said that, this filly’s demeanour and temperament is probably better than any of those other fillies we have won with – Keep The Peace, Jennifer Eccles and Artistic. All of them had to mellow a little bit to run the trip out and we had to tweak their training in some way, whereas this filly just trains herself, she has got a wonderful demeanour and a lovely nature.
“It is rare in any race to step a horse up over ground and put blinkers on, but that is our faith in how well she will settle. Obviously, we won’t be able to drive her out of the gates with the blinkers on. She is probably going to settle in the back half of the field, and if that is the case she will attack the line strong.”
Following her unplaced run in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November, Ritchie said they gave her an intentionally light lead in to the Oaks, with just the two runs, including placing in the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2100m) at Te Rapa earlier this month, and he said she is thriving ahead of Saturday’s 2400m test.
“When we came back from Christchurch we deliberately missed the Ellerslie carnival with this Oaks in mind,” he said.
“I don’t think we will get her in any better order, she looks fantastic. She will peak on Saturday.
“She is certainly not going into the race on tired legs, which is a major plus. In the past we have had fillies that have dominated the series from the beginning who have won this race, and we have looked for ways to freshen them up, and in this case we have just been able to keep the foot gently on the pedal all the way through.”
-Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
