Consistent Taranaki mare Our Jumala has a number of winter features in her future and Robbie Patterson hopes she can pick up the first of those in Saturday’s Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui.
The daughter of Zed kicked off a series of stakes races on a winning note in the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) in late March, which she followed up with a fourth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2050m), fifth in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) and a luckless last-start third in the Listed Rotorua Cup (2200m).
Pleased with each of those performances, Patterson is pressing on to the Wanganui feature with designs on a trip to Riccarton early in the new season.
“She was a bit unlucky there at Rotorua, if she was drawn poorly she probably would’ve got a lot closer,” he said.
“She’s trained on well, I’ve freshened her up a bit to drop back to a mile, so I’m hopeful of a good run.
“She’ll have a short break for now, then will come back for the Opunake Cup (Listed, 1400m) and Winter Cup (Gr.3, 1600m).”
Stablemate Ragamuffin will make an awaited step-up over ground in the Balance Accountants 2040, following two placings on heavy tracks this preparation.
“I’ve been waiting for a long time to get him right and ready to step up to 2000m, and he gets his chance on Saturday,” Patterson said.
“I think he’ll like the distance, he’s relaxing really well now, and he’s drawn a nice spot to get midfield. I’d be disappointed if he’s not in the thick of it.”
Among his younger contingent, Patterson has plenty of faith in both Unbounded (Full Circle Appearance Medicine 2YO 1200) and Ma Te Wa (Wanganui-Taranaki Racehorse Owners Association MDN 1340) as they enter their second raceday starts.
Challenge Syndications’ juvenile Unbounded was unsuited to the pattern on debut at Hawera, but if she strikes a track to suit, the daughter of Turn Me Loose could be one flying under the radar on Saturday.
“The Hawera run was better than it looked on paper, it was one of those days at Hawera that everything was off the front, and she had to come wide,” Patterson said. “She was strong late in the piece.
“She’s jumped out and galloped on rain-affected ground and revels in it, so I’m hoping that Wanganui gets a bit more rain to loosen the track up.
“I think she can be very competitive in the right conditions.”
Time Test three-year-old Ma Te Wa stepped out for the first time back in February but looked and performed like a stronger gelding when winning at the Foxton trials on Tuesday.
“I gave him that run but he was just a bit weak, so I flicked him aside and he’s come back really well,” Patterson said. “He won a couple of jump-outs and that trial on Tuesday.
“I’m expecting a big run from him, Craig is pretty happy to be riding him on Saturday.
“I think he’s a horse that will win races, he’ll excel at a mile in time, probably with another year on him.”
Patterson has had lighter representation at the races in recent weeks, but with a large volume of young stock coming through the stable, it has been business as usual in New Plymouth. “We’re still pretty full, we have a lot of young horses in while some of the older horses are out for their winter break,” he said. “Not racing-wise, but we’re still busy working away.”