The expected wet-track form was suddenly thrown out the window when wild weather forced Saturday’s Riccarton meeting to be moved to the Polytrack, but class shone through in the three open handicaps on the card.
Tumuch (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) took out the Avon City Ford Easter Cup (1600m), Buoyant (NZ) (Dalghar) won the Bush Inn Open Sprint (1200m) and Star Ballot (NZ) (Tarzino) ran away with the Hornby Club Founders Cup (2200m). The trio won those races by a combined margin of 11 and three-quarter lengths.
The surface switch proved to be ideal for Tumuch in the $80,000 Easter Cup. The highly talented son of Satono Aladdin had acquitted himself well on Heavy10 turf last weekend, finishing second and beaten by only a half-head by Betty Spaghetti (Stratum Star) in the Listed Great Easter Stakes (1600m). But he had won his only previous race on the Polytrack, and he kept that perfect record intact on Saturday.
In a field reduced by scratchings to just four runners, Tumuch and jockey Khrishna Mudhoo settled in third place along the rail as Master Marko (NZ) (Contributer) and Miss Layla (NZ) (Burgundy) shared the pace.
Mudhoo released the brakes coming up to the home turn, and Tumuch effortlessly cruised up alongside Master Marko in the straight. There was little doubt about the result from there, with the $2.20 favourite kicking away to win by two and three-quarter lengths.
Tumuch has now had 22 starts for six wins, six placings and $240,230 in stakes. He won the Listed Timaru Stakes (1200m) on Riccarton’s turf track in January.
“He’s a very good horse,” Mudhoo said. “The wet track wasn’t in his favour at all last week, but he still managed to give it a very good crack and ran second. The moment this race moved to the Polytrack, I had a big smile on my face.
“He did it easily all the way around. As soon as I pulled him out, he pinned his ears back and it was game on.
“He’s one of the best horses I’ve ridden. He reminds me of another good horse I rode, Revelator, who was owned by Peter Lyon (and won nine races and more than $200,000 in stakes). But this one is probably better.”
Saturday’s feature sprint winner Buoyant is also unbeaten on the synthetic surface. His only previous start was a 1400m race at Riccarton in June of 2022, which he won by four and a half lengths.
The Dalghar gelding sat in second place on Saturday before pouncing in the straight and pulling away, beating Victor Rouge (NZ) (Burgundy) by two lengths.
Buoyant’s 36-race career has produced eight wins, five placings and $266,148. He was the South Island’s standout sprinter in the 2022-23 season, when he won the Gr.3 Stewards’ Stakes (1200m) and Listed Hazlett Stakes (1200m) and placed in the Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m).
“He’s a good horse, and it’s nice to have him back in form now after a bit of a glitch in Australia,” trainer and part-owner Sabin Kirkland said.
“He’s had only two runs on the synthetic track here. He ran a track record (1:22.08) over 1400m here as a three-year-old. So I wasn’t concerned about the race switching to the Polytrack today. His work was exceptional the other day.”
Star Ballot recorded the most dominant victory of all in Saturday’s Founders Cup. After enjoying a comfortable run just off the pace, he took command after straightening for home. Jockey Kavish Chowdhoory drove him clear down the straight and he opened up a winning margin of seven lengths. Star Ballot has had 44 starts for seven wins, 10 placings and $205,755 in stakes. He has had five starts on the Polytrack for two wins and two placings.