Matamata veteran Tiptronic (NZ) (O’Reilly) doesn’t seem to be showing much sign of his age as he prepares for another summer of racing.
Tiptronic is now eight but Graham Richardson, who trains the Group One-winning gelding with Rogan Norvall, said he still has plenty of zest for racing.
“He’s as good as ever,” Richardson said. “He’s still got that enthusiasm and he’s a lovely horse to deal with. He’s a bit of a dude, part of the family.”
Tiptronic will resume in an open 1400m race at Te Aroha on November 27. Last year he contested the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m), run on the same day this year at Te Aroha, but he’s beginning his campaign later than usual after he had a two-race campaign in Queensland over winter.
“He’s about a fortnight behind where he was this time last year. He had a bit of a tough time in Brisbane over winter, so we’ve taken our time with him,” Richardson said.
“He’s had a couple of trials – the first was very quiet, and the second one we let him go just a little bit more in the straight.
“He doesn’t come good until after Christmas anyway.”
Tiptronic’s best races have usually been between January and March. He’s had a particular affinity with the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa in mid-February, winning the race in 2020 and finishing second the year before.
Earlier this year he finished sixth in the Herbie Dyke Stakes but he was galloped on during the running. On either side of that race he won the Karaka Cup (2200m) on Karaka Million day and finished third behind Melody Belle and Avantage (just a head behind the latter) in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m).
Meanwhile, Richardson’s filly Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy) is about to be put back in training after her spring campaign was paused by a twinged muscle.
The Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) winner was being prepared for the One Thousand Guineas and kicked off in good fashion with a fourth-place finish in the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) before the muscle injury struck in mid-October.
“It was minimal but we took our time and boxed her up for a week or two and she’s good now,” he said. “She’s been trotting up for a week or two and will start cantering tomorrow for the first time.”
Richardson hoped she would be in a position for a quiet trial in about three or four weeks.
The Richardson-Norvall team has two possible runners at Rotorua on Tuesday. Bigiff (NZ) (Iffraaj) is first emergency for a maiden 1560m contest, while Poser (NZ) (Ocean Park) contests a maiden 1950m race at the end of the day.
“Poser is a very laid-back filly, an absolute darling to deal with, but she is very casual at the start and just winds up as the race goes,” he said.
“She’ll appreciate the distance and may want even further.”
Richardson also hopes to have up to four runners for the Counties meet at Te Rapa on Saturday. Three of them are being set for a Rating 65 1200m race: last-start maiden winner Zaffiro Belle (NZ) (Vespa), Light Brocade (Epaulette), and Rabada (NZ) (Per Incanto), while Short Fuse (NZ) (Per Incanto) is targeting the Listed Counties Bowl (1100m).
Short Fuse looked set for a nice 2020-21 season after finishing third behind Mascarpone and Coventina Bay in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) but didn’t get to the races again for another 12 months, finishing ninth in the same race on November 6.
“Her first-up run was very good, she just got squeezed up a little bit, and she should be better for that,” he said.
Richardson’s Australian-based stayer Defibrillate (NZ) (Shocking), seventh in the Gr.3 Geelong Cup (2400m) at his last start, could also be running again this weekend in the Listed Ballarat Cup (2200m).
