Last-start victor O’Riordan will trek south to Wingatui from her Timaru base tomorrow in a bid to add to her winning haul when she contests the Mosgiel Tavern Beaumont Publican’s Cup (1500m).
The 6-year-old daughter of Proisir was building towards a winning result last week, finishing runner-up at Riccarton, and trainer Stephanie Faulkner said she had bounced through the run, which had given her the confidence to back her up this weekend.
"I don’t normally back her up this quick, but she was messing around in the paddock like she had recovered really well from her last run," Faulkner said.
"She was out there bucking and carrying on so I thought it wouldn’t hurt her to go again."
O’Riordan will jump from barrier 10 with Central Districts jockey Leah Hemi aboard, and Faulkner said she would be ridden positively from her wide alley.
"She will just roll forward and if something else wants to take the lead she is happy just to sit on its hindquarters," Faulkner said.
"On the other hand, if no-one wants to go, she is happy to go to the front too."
Faulkner has not made any set plans with O’Riordan post her weekend run but said she would probably go out for a freshen-up.
"She has been up a wee while, so she just may have a freshener and look for something else in another month or so," she said.
Meanwhile, Faulkner is looking forward to heading to Riverton next month with Smooth Operator to line-up in the Riverton Cup (2147m).
It is the final leg of the Southern Cups Bonus Series where a $50,000 winner-takes-all bonus is up for grabs.
Smooth Operator sits third on five points behind Noble Knight (eight points) and In Vegas (seven points), with double points on the line in the Riverton Cup.
The gelding won the second leg of the series, the Invercargill Gold Cup (2600m), and was a beaten favourite in the listed Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) last month when fifth, but Faulkner said a post-race examination found he had an infection.
"He took half an hour to recover after the Dunedin Cup, and he is usually very clean-winded, so we knew something wasn’t quite right," Faulkner said.
"He had a bit of a respiratory tract infection, and we have treated him for that.
"Outwardly, you would think there is nothing wrong with him, but not until they race and get under that pressure you find out these things.
"He is very well so I am looking forward to that Riverton final with him."
Faulkner is also excited about the stable’s top-rated horse Richard Stomper’s return to the trials after undergoing surgery following a race fall last year.
"He is going to trial at the next lot of trials," she said.
"He had that accident on the 27th of September, and he was operated on and he has had a long, slow buildup for his first trial. I am really happy with him." — LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
By Joshua Smith
