Horse racing: In-form owner looking for more success at Ellerslie this weekend

Now that Navy Ensign has broken his duck, he can go on with it at Ellerslie. Photo / Kenton Wright

Navy Ensign delivered on his promise when winning his maiden race over a mile at Pukekohe last month, and he will attempt to double his tally when he heads to Ellerslie on Saturday to tackle the MyRacehorse 1600.

The U S Navy Flag gelding carries the silks of part-owner David Archer, whose colours have been to the fore this season through fellow 3-year-old Belle Cheval, who was victorious in last Saturday’s Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m), and while Navy Ensign isn’t in the same tier, he has been just as consistent.

He was runner-up in his first four starts before adding a further placing to his record at Pukekohe in February, and trainer Murray Thompson was rapt to finally see his charge first past the post at the South Auckland venue last month.

“It was about time,” Thompson quipped. “It was a half-decent race as well, so it was good to get the win, it was well deserved.

“We just had wide draws and a bit of bad luck earlier on, where he got a stone bruise, and that put us on the back foot initially.

“It [the win] was always going to come, he has got a lot of ability, and he is only going to get better with time. We are pretty happy.”

Thompson has been pleased with Navy Ensign’s progression since his last-start heroics.

“He has been very well, he has just done everything right,” Thompson said. “He licks his bowl every night and his work has been good.

“He has just worked on his own in a couple of gallops. He can be a bit lazy on his own, but he has still been good for him. We are pretty happy heading into this race.”

Navy Ensign will be ridden on Saturday by Opie Bosson from the ace barrier, and while Thompson would have ideally liked to have drawn a couple of gates wider, he said his gelding should still get an ideal trip from that draw and he will continue to benefit from the application of blinkers.

“Three would have been ideal, just to get him one off,” Thompson said. “He should get a nice run behind whoever decides to lead. There is a bit of pace on the outside of him on Saturday, so he should kick up and get a nice run.

“We have put the blinkers on him in his last two starts, which has woken him up, he is jumping and going forward, because he was a bit ho-hum in his races, he is a pretty relaxed fella. The blinkers have certainly worked.”

While Thompson has contemplated stakes assignments with Navy Ensign over autumn, he has resisted that temptation and said his gelding will likely head for a spell following Saturday’s run.

“The Wellington Guineas [Group 2, 1600m] was on the cards, but we thought he would have won leading up to that,” Thompson said. “Looking at the field, he wouldn’t have been out of place in it.

“He will probably go in the paddock after this one and we will get him ready for September.”

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk