Robbie Patterson won’t be short of representatives at his home meeting on Saturday, with 13 runners including a trio of talented performers in the Listed Sinclair Electrical and Refrigeration Opunake Cup (1400m).
The New Plymouth horseman has accepted with Belles Beau, Our Jumala and Sinbin, with the former opening a $3.90 favourite in the TAB market.
A son of Iffraaj, Belles Beau had to play bridesmaid to Sinbin when resuming at the local course in May, but then went on to stamp his authority in open company at Wanganui, defeating subsequent winners in Bradman and Tavis Court.
Punters expected more of the same from Belles Beau at Otaki last Tuesday, and while he may have disappointed on face value when third behind Belardo Boy, Patterson was satisfied with the effort in the testing ground.
“On paper, it looked disappointing, but I think it was more so the holding nature of the track,” he said. “Kavish (Chowdhoory, jockey) said that he came out like he did at Wanganui and was going to go as well as he could in that ground, but he just laboured and couldn’t quicken in it.
“He had a really good blow after that race, so we might’ve just been a fraction kind on him as well and the holding track just tripped him up.
“He went down to Hawera on Tuesday and galloped very well, has pulled up super, and I can’t fault him. With the home track advantage, I’m just hoping.”
Kelly Myers has been given the nod aboard Belles Beau in the feature, while Mereana Hudson is shooting for three on the bounce with Sinbin, who gets a first opportunity at black-type in the race.
“At the start of the winter, this was our goal, but she had to get some form to get there,” Patterson said. “She’s certainly done that and on the way she’s been going, she deserves her chance.
“I can’t fault her, Lucy (trackwork rider) is very happy with her, she’s just a well horse.”
Last, but certainly not least, Our Jumala completes Patterson’s Opunake Cup contingent, a Group Three-winning mare this season who has consistently featured in stakes company. She was given a decent freshen-up after an uncharacteristic effort in the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) in May, which Patterson feels is the key to her chances.
“We haven’t done a lot with her, she goes well fresh and we’ve just kept her ticking over,” he said. “We’ve gone down to Hawera for a couple of really good gallops, which she’s come through well.
“She loves her home track, and she always seems to be a reasonable chance in this state.”
Outside of the feature, Patterson will saddle four last-start winners across the card, including back-to-back winner Freebelle, who returns to maiden company in the Revital Fertilisers MAAT (1800m).
“She just hasn’t put a foot wrong, she’s absolutely thriving and her work has been top-notch,” Patterson said.
“My only query for her is being a very small mare carrying 58.5kg, but she carried 57kg against the Rating 65 horses on very testing ground and she’s back to maiden grade here. I’ve got my man Craig (Grylls) back on board, taking nothing away from Kavish though, he did a great job last time. She’s flying really.”
Patterson holds a similarly high opinion of Ma Te Wa, a lightly-raced three-year-old taking the step into Rating 75 grade in the Sandfords Rural Carriers (1200m).
“We’ve been a bit quiet on him, I gave him a week in the paddock and had intended to give him three weeks, but he was starting to hoon around so I thought he may as well come back in with the weather turning,” he said.
“He’s a neat horse, he puts himself in a spot and hopefully can just keep galloping. He should be a good chance.
“Both this horse and Jaegar, another horse that has won recently, both need time, they’re both just three-year-olds. They’ll probably go for a break after this.”
Jaegar, alongside stablemate Beausk, will go head-to-head in the Delaval Coastal Agri MAAT (1400m), with the latter having missed a run at Te Rapa due to adverse weather blocking their usual route to the Waikato.
“The Awakino Gorge collapsed, so we couldn’t make it to Te Rapa with him,” Patterson said. “We’ve kept him up to the mark, he’s travelled away for a few gallops.
“He’s getting better and better, he had been a horse that was keen early and wouldn’t finish off as well as he could. But we’ve tinkered with some gear and Lemmy Douglas has been riding him, and he’s been relaxing very well.
“I’d be disappointed if he doesn’t run a good race on Saturday.”
In the UBP LTD Maiden (1100m), Patterson is looking forward to kicking off the career of Illustrious, a juvenile by Eminent that will carry the increasingly prominent colours of Daniel Nakhle.
“We really like this horse, we’ve given him a couple of soft trials and I was going to trial him again on Tuesday, but I thought on our home track, with only a handful of horses in this race, we would put him in,’ he said.
“I’m not expecting him to win on Saturday, but I think he’s a lovely horse that will be winning races, that’s for sure. I think he’ll be a really nice staying three-year-old.
“Daniel Nakhle sent him down to me and it’s great to have a horse with him.”