Beckett holds strong hand at synthetic meeting

[Wandering Eyes]

Ross Beckett will head to Riccarton’s Synthetic meeting on Thursday with a handful of runners, including a couple of favourites.

Last start winner Gemma Flitz heads the market in the National Breeding Stock Sale On Gavelhouse Plus – Ends 10 July (1200m) and Beckett is hopeful of a repeat performance on the surface.

The daughter of Telperion has been in good form this preparation, finishing runner-up in her two races prior to posting her third career victory, and Beckett said she has continued to please in her work.

“It was good to get that win and she has come through the run well. Her work has been good and she is up to the mark,” he said.

Beckett said Riccarton’s polytrack is a key tool for his barn over the winter months.

“She likes a firm track on the grass as well, but she handles the synthetic. She wouldn’t be in work if it wasn’t for the synthetic track,” he said. “That is what is good about the synthetic, her and Voice Over, and those sort of horses, you can keep going with them (over winter).

“Donovan (Cooper, apprentice jockey) is back on, he does a good job.”

Voice Over is another favoured runner for Beckett in the Cup Week Hospitality On Sale (1200m), sitting on the second line of betting at $4.50 behind Angels Wings at $3.20.

Formerly trained by Peter Didham, Voice Over has had two starts for Beckett on Riccarton’s synthetic for a win and a second, and he is hoping the son of U S Navy Flag can continue that form this week where he will utilise the three-kilogram claim of Cooper, bring his impost down to 57kg.

“He is only a very small horse, so the three kilograms helps him a lot,” Beckett said. “His form has been very good, I am more than happy with him.”

Stablemate Muzzle Cat is a $4.20 favourite in the Entain – NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race Mdn (1400m) with TAB bookmakers, while Drake’s Drum and Montero will round out Beckett’s Riccarton quintet in the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap Maiden (1200m) and The Show Gate Riccarton Park Maiden (1600m) respectively.

“Muzzle Cat has just been getting a bit far back in her races,” Beckett said. “Hopefully tomorrow we can ride her a bit handier and she should be quite competitive.

“Drake’s Drum copped a fair bit of interference last start, so he had his excuses, but he ran third and went well.

“The mile will suit Montero, but he is going to have to put his hand up and put some money in the till shortly.”

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