While they couldn’t find the winner’s enclosure at Randwick on Saturday, trainer Jamie Richards was more than satisfied with what his trio of stable stars have achieved during their extended autumn campaigns in Australia.
Three-year-old filly Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) found the Heavy8 track surface too tough an ask when plodding home for eighth in the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m) while even noted wet track performers Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) and Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) struggled in the gluey conditions as they battled gamely for fifth and sixth respectively in the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
It brought the curtain down on a campaign that saw Probabeel notch her first career Group One success in the Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on the same day that Te Akau Shark registered his first Australian Group One victory in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) while Melody Belle was all class in finishing third in the A$5million All Star Mile (1600m) at Caulfield and a gutsy fourth under topweight of 57kgs in the Gr.1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on the first day of The Championships.
Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au
Richards was philosophical about how Saturday panned out and is looking forward to bigger and better things in the spring.
“Probabeel got out of her ground a little in the Oaks but she couldn’t quicken in it as she came to the end of a long campaign,” Richards said.
“We’re proud of her as she is now a Group One winner in Australia so she can have a good break before we get her ready for the spring.
“The other two went super races as well.
“Melody Belle probably got a little further back than where we wanted to be but followed the Japanese horse (Danon Premium) into the race. She struggled on the track and she is a notable wet tracker, but was pretty brave to the line.
“Te Akau Shark over-raced a little but got into a lovely spot approaching the turn and Opie (Bosson), who rode him, thought he was going to be right in the thick of it.
“He just ground it out in the end and probably wanted a better track.
“They’ve all run well but it just wasn’t our day.”
All three runners will now make their way to ex-pat Kiwi couple Greg and Jo Griffin’s Lime Country Thoroughbreds set-up in rural New South Wales for a richly deserved break before individual plans are put in place for the spring.
“They are going to the Griffins at Lime Country for a rest, as they have a terrific set-up for spelling horses,” Richards said.
“We will be guided by what happens in the next couple of weeks with any easing of the travel restrictions but currently we are thinking that Melody Belle and Te Akau Shark will stay in Australia and be prepared for the spring from there.
Photo: Trish Dunell
“We will talk with Probabeel’s owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay about what she will be doing. She has been up for a fair while and needs a break so we want to see how she lets down.
“She’s a good-doing filly who doesn’t need to be out for that long but we will talk with Brendan and Jo about what we want to do in the spring and confirm that over the next few days.
“The travel restrictions will play a role in what she does but we just have to wait and see how things pan out and how it all fits together.”
Richards is also working on how Te Akau Racing will bring their local New Zealand team back online once racing restarts here.
“Most of the team were going out for a break anyway when the lockdown occurred as we don’t tend to have a big winter team,” he said.
“It has given us the chance to give our horses an extended spell at an ideal time of the year.
“We may have a couple of jumpers for the winter but we will most likely start to ramp things up for the Te Teko trials in August which has been a traditional kick-off for the team in the past, provided those options are going to be available to us.”
