Robbie Patterson has one final box to tick in a phenomenal season for his Taranaki stable, and the win of Catherinenz at Riccarton Park on Saturday brought him within touching distance.
Patterson surpassed a prior personal best of 20 wins by some margin last term, picking up 50 wins and just shy of $950,000 in stakes earnings. His goal last August was to reach the million-dollar mark while replicating the half-century, and with $2.1million recorded and 48 winners with a month of the season left, he has more than reached expectations.
“My goal was to get 50 winners for the season and break the million-dollar mark, and we’ve doubled that number and are a couple away from 50,” Patterson said.
“I’ve got a few nice chances before the season’s end to reach that goal, so hopefully we can tick that box and it’ll be very pleasing.”
The 48th success came in the form of exciting Shamexpress mare Catherinenz, who travelled south to Riccarton’s turf meeting last weekend to contest the Optimise Fertilizers & Equi-lise Rating 75 (1400m).
Prior to the race, her recent record had been near-perfect with two wins in her last three appearances, and she started a $5.60 second-favourite as the main danger to Zacat ($5).
Jockey Courtney Barnes was assertive early from barrier seven aboard Catherinenz, pushing forward to sit outside On Song, who dictated terms from the front. Moving into the straight, Catherinenz simply jogged up to take the lead and soon put an extending margin on Deep Beauty who fought valiantly for second, but Patterson’s mare was too strong and bolted in by 3-1/4 lengths.
Patterson explained it hadn’t been all smooth sailing for Catherinenz since she entered his stable last year, but he was thrilled to see her performing at her peak in the testing conditions.
“Getting her toe into the ground I think has helped her a little bit,” he said.
“She won over a mile at Otaki in January, then she had to get an epiglottis entrapment operation done because she was having trouble breathing. That seems to have done the trick, and she has gone from winning a maiden to winning a 75 in three starts which isn’t a bad effort.
“She’s only a four-year-old, so I’ll probably go to another 75 somewhere as she’ll still get in reasonably well at the weights. She’ll be an open handicapper after that, so we’ll probably try to get her to open grade then give her a break as she’s been up for a while.
“She’s a very easy horse, not very big and doesn’t take much work.”
Out of a Guillotine mare Grey Sapphire, Catherinenz was bred and is owned by Roger Blunt, and Patterson has a full-brother in the stable in Shameless Boy who has won two of his four starts.
Juvenile stablemate Read About It also made his debut in the two-year-old 1000m event at Riccarton and was backed into $2.70 favouritism after three trial victories in the Central Districts.
The Wrote gelding was one of the slower away from the gates and travelled among the backmarkers as the 12-strong field descended down the chute. Barnes had to navigate a fair amount of traffic on straightening in an inexperienced line-up, and Read About It was one of the few runners to make ground in the race closing strongly into second behind an impressive Imptee.
“I was very happy with him, it was all about learning for him and there was no races up here in the North Island so I gave him this one to get him ready for the Ryder Stakes,” Patterson said.
“He got back, had a few traffic problems and nothing was making ground from there all day so it was a really good effort.
“He’s on the ferry now, he’ll be home later this afternoon and he will go have a week in the paddock before targeting that race.”
The Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m) will be run at Otaki on July 27, and Patterson will be aiming for a seventh black-type success after picking up a quartet of Group Three’s, a Group Two and a Group One this season.
“It’ll be a hard season to match again, that’s for sure,” Patterson said.
“Obviously winning the Wellington Cup (Gr.3, 3200m) and the Thorndon Mile (Gr.1, 1600m) a few hours apart was very special, but I got a big thrill and a bit of a surprise out of winning the Coupland’s Mile (Gr.2, 1600m) being my old stomping ground down south.”
