Mystic Park primed for Trentham sprint

[Wandering Eyes]

Riccarton trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman love a trip north to Trentham, and they are once again looking forward to heading to the Upper Hutt track this weekend with a trio of contenders.

Trentham has been a happy hunting ground for the father-and-son duo, who have recorded some of their biggest wins at the track, including Savvy Coup’s (NZ) (Savabeel) Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) triumph and Enzo’s Lad’s (Testa Rossa) back-to-back victories in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m).

“It is probably my favourite track,” Michael Pitman said. “It has been a good track to us.

“We don’t go to Wellington unless we have a certain degree of confidence that they will perform.”

They have plenty of confidence in last-start Group Three winner Mystic Park (NZ) (Ocean Park), who will contest the Gr.3 Taylor Property Plus Spring Sprint (1400m).

The Pitmans were initially looking to tackle the Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) this weekend with their gelding but opted to change tack earlier this week when they saw the strength of that field.

“We were going to run in the mile, right up until Tuesday night, but when the field came up so strong and the way the ratings are based, I said to the owners that we were better off to go this way this week and concentrate on the Thorndon (Gr.2, 1600m),” Michael Pitman said.

“There is a heap of good racing coming up next year for a horse like him without taking on those two good mares (La Crique and Legarto), Ladies Man and Waitak too soon. The sprint looks a nice race for him.

“He hasn’t had a lot of racing, he has only had two starts beyond 1400m in his life, so he is probably a better 1400m horse anyway. He looks reasonably well-weighted (57.5kg), that’s why he is the favourite.”

Pitman is also looking forward to lining up Rosso (Camelot) in the Rothley 2100, as he gets ready for next month’s Gr.3 NZ Campus Of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m).

The Irish-bred son of Camelot hasn’t put a foot wrong since joining the Pitman stable a couple of months ago, winning two of his three starts, and they are excited about his future.

“He has been fantastic,” Pitman said. “All three of his runs have been really good. He is a revelation really, how would you expect to buy a horse like that and to come back in three starts and do what he has done? Now he is equal favourite for the Wellington Cup and that’s his main aim.”

The Pitmans will also be represented by El Vaquero (NZ) (Ferrando) in the Aztech Engineering Ltd Sprint (1000m), and they are hoping the addition of blinkers will aid his chances over the sprint distance.

“We took the blinkers off to hopefully let him settle because at one stage we were looking at having a crack at the Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) with him, so he has had blinkers off in his last two starts,” Pitman said. “He drops back to rating 65 grade and has got blinkers back on Saturday.”

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