Sacred Falls, who is an outstanding prospect for the New
Zealand Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton tomorrow. Photo
by Trish Dunell.
Sacred Falls should maintain his unbeaten record when he
contests the $400,000 New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas at
Riccarton tomorrow.
Sacred Falls is unbeaten in five starts and showed his
outstanding ability when he recorded a phenomenal effort to
win the Hawkes Bay Guineas two starts back.
The O'Reilly colt stumbled at the start at Hastings. His
rider, Leith Innes, who has ridden him in all his races,
allowed him time to gather in the field and work his way to a
challenging position in the home straight. He continued his
sustained run to beat Riccarton rival Southern Lord by a
length and a-quarter. Those who saw the race were grasping
for superlatives after the performance.
Sacred Falls ran the 1400m that day in the splendid time of
1.21.13.
Scared Falls, trained by Tony Pike and Mark Donoghue at
Cambridge, won his two starts at two and followed with a
first-up success at three at Ruakaka in a smart 1.09.60 for
the 1200m.
He has not raced since he won the Sarten Memorial at Te Rapa
17 days ago, fighting determinedly to beat Rollout The Carpet
by a long neck.
Sacred Falls (named after a waterfall in Hawaii) should now
be ready to cope with the 1600m on the searching Riccarton
track.
He is bred get over ground.
His grand-dam, Iguazu (named after a waterfall in Brazil),
won the Australasian Oaks in 1999.
The daughter of Carolingian numbered the Canterbury Belle
Stakes, White Robe Lodge Handicap and the Gore Guineas among
her 12 wins from the Riccarton stable of Peter and Dawn
Williams.
Trainer Jason Bridgman believes either of his runners,
Warhorse or Irish Rebel, can beat Sacred Falls, The New
Zealand Herald reportsAlthough Sacred Falls beat Warhorse
more than four lengths at Te Rapa on October 22, Bridgman
says the General Nediym colt had excuses.
"He was never really comfortable on the surface and never got
racing room locked in on the rail the whole way," Bridgman
said.
"He's a horse who needs to get out in the open to let down so
combined with being uncomfortable in the ground we just ruled
a line through the run."
Bridgman can not fault the condition of the horse.
"On the positive side of it he's come through it 100%. He
didn't have a hard run and is raring to go for the Guineas."
The only concern Bridgman has with Warhorse, who races with
an extravagantly high head carriage, is that he might be
suspect at the 1600m.
"If he's ever going to get the trip it's the first time he
does it. I can't fault him going into it, so barring a rough
trip, he'll have no excuse if he doesn't stay a mile."
Irish Rebel returns to the top level after a fresh-up second
in a modest rating 75 at Hastings over 1400m on October 25.
The Danehill Dancer colt, who will be ridden by Hayden
Tinsley for the first time, is ready for the task.
Last season he was group-placed behind Warhorse in the
Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie and a late-closing fourth in the
Manawatu Sires Produce in which Warhorse ran third.
Bridgman also believes he is the one best suited to the
1600m.
"He's a horse I think will end up a Derby horse," Bridgman
said. "One prep run is also adequate given that he is a
staying type of horse - he'll need to be sharp enough for a
mile.
"Good ground, big track, second-up over a mile will suit him
absolutely down to the ground. His work was first-class this
week and I can't fault him condition-wise."
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