Promising stayer Blue Breeze took the first step on the path to a potential Melbourne Cup bid with a dominant first -up victory over 1400m at Pukekohe on Saturday.
Sporting the colours of his new part-owners, Cambridge Stud couple Brendan and Jo Lindsay, the Bullbars six-year-old was expected to be running on strongly over the 1400m journey but not as a winning prospect.
Suited by a fast pace set up by Admiral and He’s Cavalier on the tricky Heavy11 conditions, Blue Breeze showed a touch of class as he stormed home out wide for apprentice Erin Leighton to round up the leaders and cruise to a comfortable one and a half-length victory.
Breeder and part-owner Tony Gavigan was thrilled with the performance as he outlined the potential road ahead for the Allan Morley-trained gelding, who finished third behind Glory Days in the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) to round out his last campaign.
“I think he’s the best handicapped two-miler in New Zealand at the moment,” Gavigan said.
“Clearly Glory Days is a notch above us but I think she is going to get a bit more weight than we will (moving forward).
“That was everything you could ask for and what a lovely ride by Erin.
“It was always going to be a raffle with the track as we never knew how he was going to handle it like that first-up, but he did get second here at his second start over 1400m (in similar conditions).”
A start at Ellerslie in a fortnight awaits Blue Breeze as he prepares for the acid tests ahead in an attempt to secure a berth in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) field.
“He will go to Ellerslie in a fortnight over 1500m which will be tougher than this,” Gavigan said.
“Then we will go to the Wyong Cup (Listed, 2100m) on September 6 and then the Newcastle Cup (Gr.3, 2300m) on the 20th.
Saturday’s victory took Blue Breeze’s career record to four wins and six placings from just 25 starts.
“If we can win that one, I think we can get enough weight to get in the (Melbourne) Cup.”
