Ryan Foote will have a leading hope in his quest for a first winner in partnership with his father Ben, with polytrack specialist Jimmy Dean (NZ) (Tivaci) lining up at Cambridge on Wednesday.
The Cambridge trainers have utilised their local polytrack with plenty of success over the winter months, and five-year-old Jimmy Dean has relished the all-weather surface, scoring four wins and four further minor placings this year.
“Jimmy Dean is in a very competitive race but he’s also very competitive, he’s been working well leading up to it so it’ll be a good race that’s for sure,” Ryan Foote said.
The son of Tivaci will contest the Richard Bright Memorial Cup 1550 with Kozzi Asano looking to take a second victory aboard the gelding, while Opie Bosson will partner with the stable’s other representative Harmonia (NZ) (Reliable Man) in the Cambridge Equine Hospital 1550.
A five year-old daughter of Reliable Man, Harmonia broke through for her maiden victory on the course last August and has produced two further placings at Cambridge.
“Harmonia has been working well and her win came at 1550 so we’ve gone to a Rating 60 1550 for her which should suit her well, she’s looking good too,” Foote said.
The Footes will look to prepare multiple runners for the weekend meetings across the North Island, with consistent Sacred Falls mare Girls Light Up (NZ) likely to appear at Saturday’s New Plymouth meeting for the Rating 65 1400m event.
“She had a little freshen-up before the run she’s just had (at Te Rapa) and she’s come along nicely since then, so we’re looking forward to some improvement from her on the weekend,” Foote said.
The Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Hunt meeting at Arawa Park on Sunday may see another of their charges, The Bambino (NZ) (Rock ‘N’ Pop), contesting the Rating 65 Benchmark & Jumpers Highweight (1950m) for Amateur Riders after a tidy third in similar event on July 29.
“He just needs ground as long as the track’s not too heavy, he’s very fit and he’s ready for the distance,” he said.
