Tuxedo getting dressed up for summer racing

[Wandering Eyes]

Group Two winner Tuxedo (NZ) (Tivaci) is gearing up for a busy summer, with the son of Tivaci given a quiet trial over 1100m at Taupo on Tuesday to help ready him for his looming targets.

He had a pleasing three-year-old term for trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray, winning three of his six starts, including the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) and Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m), and was runner-up behind Damask Rose in the $1.5 million Karaka Million 3YO (1600m).

He returned this season with a first-up victory over 1400m at Ruakaka in August before running seventh and sixth respectively in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) and Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m).

He has subsequently been freshened, and reflecting on Tuxedo’s first two weight-for-age runs, Ritchie said he certainly wasn’t out of his depth.

“He had three weeks off after his two unlucky weight-for-age runs, and he certainly didn’t get the rub of the green in either race,” he said.

“In his first one he got a bit of a wide run and didn’t get a lot of luck, he was knocked around a little bit and wasn’t far off them, and in the second one Waitak beat him to the gap and won the race. He perhaps could have run a place had he had clear running in that one.

“I don’t believe he underperformed, but it was time to back off. I think it will strengthen him up and make him a lot tougher for the summer and autumn racing he has got ahead of him.”

Ritchie was pleased with Tuxedo’s trial, where he was untested at the rear of the field, alongside multiple Group One winner Waitak, and he expects him to fire on all cylinders fresh-up in the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on December 13.

“That was a lovely quiet trial,” he said. “A lot of Lance (O’Sullivan) and Scotty’s (Andrew Scott) horses have been having what I would call handbrake trials, like they do in Sydney, and you find when they have trials like that, they usually come out full of beans and perform well first-up.

“He will almost certainly take his place at Te Rapa in the J Swap and then more than likely the Rich Hill Mile (Gr.2, 1600m). He is in a good place in the Handicap now, so he doesn’t need to run at that weight-for-age level anymore, so we will work our way through the handicap and hopefully hit our peak in the Aotearoa Classic ($1 million, 1600m) in front of the big crowd at Ellerslie (on Karaka Millions night).”

Ritchie was also happy with the trial of stablemate Crowd Pleaser (NZ) (Derryn), who finished runner-up in his 1100m heat.

The three-year-old son of Derryn won his first trial over 800m at Ellerslie in June and Ritchie expects him to perform on raceday at short notice.

“He is a lovely three-year-old,” Ritchie said. “I think he was purchased initially by people who turn horses over, a good couple of clients of ours.

“He won his first trial at Ellerslie very well. We probably didn’t quite have him ready for the 1100m today, so he might be better at 1000m, but I think he will end up running a mile later on.

“He is a very nice horse and if they decide to race him in New Zealand, and they may well do that now, I am sure he will show some form very quickly in the three-year-old ranks through the summer.”

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