NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Racing

Racing: Horror draws for Shaune Ritchie at Trentham

Other
11 Mar, 2020 04:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Showbeel beats Loire (red hood) and Jennifer Eccles in the Desert Gold Stakes in January. Photo / Race Images

Showbeel beats Loire (red hood) and Jennifer Eccles in the Desert Gold Stakes in January. Photo / Race Images

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Shaune Ritchie thought he was in a nightmare yesterday.

The Cambridge trainer was upbeat with his three runners heading into Trentham on Saturday, including Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) favourite Jennifer Eccles, but horror barriers quickly put a dampener on things.

Jennifer Eccles, Swisswatch, and Bella Mente have all drawn the outside in their respective races and Ritchie is already contemplating only taking two contenders south.

"Maybe the bottle of brandy I sent to the bureau didn't turn up this year," Ritchie quipped.

"This is where it gets frustrating. Jennifer Eccles has drawn 19 out of 19, Swisswatch has drawn 12 out of 12, and Bella Mente has drawn 11 out of 11.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I have got to confirm it with the owners, but Swisswatch is highly unlikely to run from that gate in the Lightning Stakes (Listed, 1200m). As a sprinter it is a nightmare draw."

Ritchie is ruing another outside gate for Bella Mente in the Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1400m). The daughter of El Roca finished runner-up in the Mufhasa Fasttrack Stakes (1300m) at Ellerslie after once again drawing the widest barrier.

"I think she could have possibly won last start had she drawn a better barrier," Ritchie said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"She will have to be ridden cold from that gate over the 1400m and she will be storming home again. She is a chance, but those gates make it a hell of a lot more difficult, all three of them."

While frustrated with Jennifer Eccles' draw in the New Zealand Oaks, Ritchie is hoping her class can prevail.

"That's the headache, that is the gate nobody wanted," he said. "I am going to send a box of Panadol around to Jason Waddell (jockey) because it is his headache, not mine.

"The horse is in superb order, but we would obviously have loved to have got some cover with her and that looks unlikely now.

Discover more

Racing

Scorpz set for Australian Derby

09 Mar 04:00 PM
Racing

Perfect draw for Melody Belle in A$5m race

10 Mar 04:00 PM
Racing

Driver could aim for 3000 club after dramatic collapse

10 Mar 04:00 PM
Racing

Etah James set for tilt at Sydney Cup

11 Mar 04:00 PM

"How Jason elects to rider her will be as interesting for me as anyone else in the grandstand. I have no intention of telling Jason whether to go forward, or back, or what to do.

"I will leave that up to him and I daresay, knowing Jason well, that he is likely to make that call when she leaves the barrier."

Despite the wide barrier, Ritchie said he has never been happier with the Group 2-winning filly.

"She is in superb order, her gallop on Saturday was probably the best work she has ever given us to indicate that she is likely to run out the mile and a half."

Although Ritchie believes Jennifer Eccles will be stretched to see out the 2400m on Saturday, he said her class will help her a long way.

"The mile and a half is the question mark," Ritchie said. "She is a brilliant filly and we are aware that we are likely to be taking her out of her comfort zone and she will probably never be asked to run a mile and a half again in her career. "There have been a laundry list of top fillies win the Oaks because they are the best horse in the race. We are hoping that is the case again this year."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Jennifer Eccles has won three of her 10 starts, including a last start victory in the Group 2 Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Hastings, and placed on six other occasions.

"She is so competitive," Ritchie said. "I don't think I have had a horse put up a single performance quite as impressive as what she did in the Lowland Stakes."

NZ Oaks (G1)

$400,000, 3YO Fillies, 2400m

1. 21311 Jennifer Eccles (19) Jason Waddell (56.5) $2.10 $1.28

2. 01232 Loire (15) Vinnie Colgan (56.5) $8.50 $2.90

3. 38123 Showbeel (12) Jonathan Riddell (56.5) $10.00 $3.30

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

4. 31481 Communique (8) Craig Grylls (56.5) $8.50 $2.90

5. 15274 Bergamot (1) Matthew Cameron (56.5) $18.00 $4.80

6. 52115 Seven Seas (18) Rosie Myers (56.5) $19.00 $5.00

7. 72552 Karalino (5) Johnathan Parkes (56.5) $14.00 $4.00

8. 11038 Feel The Rush (6) Kylie Williams (56.5) $34.00 $6.50

9. 62113 Meghan (7) Leith Innes (56.5) $19.00 $5.00

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

10. 48227 Nothing Compares (11) Kozzi Asano (56.5) (a) $41.00 $7.50

11. 65146 Pineapple Girl (3) Michael Coleman (56.5) $26.00 $5.75

12. 22114 Unlaced (14) Lisa Allpress (56.5) $34.00 $6.50

13. L4X12 Ruby Rocks (2) Ryan Elliot (56.5) $51.00 $9.00

14. 21834 Rukita (4) Robert Hannam (56.5) $41.00 $7.50

15. 75021 Vancooga (16) Holly Andrew (56.5) $26.00 $5.75

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

16. 31429 White Hibiscus (9) Samantha Collett (56.5) $51.00 $9.00

17. 83821 Zipitsweetie (17) Chris Johnson (56.5) $19.00 $5.00

18. X1763 Desert Mirage (13)Shaun McKay (56.5) $41.00 $7.50

19. 87687 Kaipaki Road (10) $34.00 $6.50

- NZ Racing Desk

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Racing

Racing

Racing’s two codes look to join forces

11 Jul 12:19 AM
Racing

Foote stable favoured by global racing giant in coup for NZ

10 Jul 05:00 PM
New Zealand

'Angel riding with us': Teen jockey remembered for selfless act just before tragic death

10 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Racing

Racing’s two codes look to join forces

Racing’s two codes look to join forces

11 Jul 12:19 AM

The thoroughbred and harness racing codes were once staunch rivals. Not any more.

Foote stable favoured by global racing giant in coup for NZ

Foote stable favoured by global racing giant in coup for NZ

10 Jul 05:00 PM
'Angel riding with us': Teen jockey remembered for selfless act just before tragic death

'Angel riding with us': Teen jockey remembered for selfless act just before tragic death

10 Jul 05:00 PM
Special meeting crucial to saving harness racing in Auckland

Special meeting crucial to saving harness racing in Auckland

09 Jul 06:17 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP