Te Awamutu trainer Stephen Ralph was pleased with the trials of Speedy Meady (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and One More Time (NZ) (Per Incanto) at Te Rapa on Thursday ahead of the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at the Hamilton track later this month.
The pair won their respective 900m trials, with Speedy Meady particularly impressive, scoring by half a dozen lengths in his heat.
The Swiss Ace gelding was retired last year after bleeding but has made a comeback and Ralph has set his sights on a tilt at the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) with the seven-year-old, a race he won in 2019 with Santa Monica.
Ralph hasn’t got too far ahead of himself and is looking forward to the gelding’s raceday resumption in the Foxbridge.
“He’s a past bleeder, so he hasn’t run for the past 12 months,” he said.
“He is a day-by-day proposition so If he bleeds again we are happy to retire him.”
One More Time is on a similar path as her stablemate and Ralph was just as pleased with her hit-out on Thursday.
“They are on the same path and we have a bunch that we are going to try and get towards the Railway. This is our starting point for most of them,” Ralph said.
“One More Time does have a nomination for the Tarzino (Gr.1, 1400m) so we are hopeful to got to the Foxbridge and maybe Tarzino.
“We need to watch the tracks she works on. She is another one with a lot of ability, but the condition of the tracks will dictate where we go.”
