Racing: Bonecrusher magic lives on

Excalibur winning at Hastings late last month. He has emerged as a serious chance on Saturday in the $500,000 Auckland Cup. Picture / NZ Racing Desk

Shaune Ritchie never gets sick of talking about Bonecrusher.

Which is just as well as the hero who thrust the now successful Cambridge trainer into the limelight over 30 years ago is going to be everywhere Ritchie goes this week.

Ritchie has a big weekend by any trainer's standards, with Devise in Saturday's Australian Cup and Excalibur having emerged as a serious winning chance in Saturday's $500,000 Barfoot and Thompson Auckland Cup at Ellerslie.

But before then Ritchie and his family have a very special date.

At 11am today a magnificent statue of Bonecrusher, for whom Ritchie was the teenage groom in the mid-1980s, will be unveiled at Ellerslie.

"I am heading to the unveiling before I head to Melbourne to oversee Devise and I will be honest, I'm really looking forward to it.

"We are actually taking our kids out of school for the day to come see it too because to us it is a big deal.

"More so than the fact I used to help look after him, he was my Dad's horse (training) and he will always be.

"It is a wonderful gesture from the Mitchell family to get this statue made and for Ellerslie to have it there forever so he will never be forgotten is special.

"So I want my kids to see it because hopefully their grandkids will see it in 50 years or whenever when I probably won't be around.

"So it will be a special morning."

The unveiling comes two days before the $200,000 Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie, one of three huge races at the track's final meeting before closing for around seven months for extensive drainage work.

Ritchie could have had the second favourite in the Bonecrusher but he and the connections of Devise have decided to roll the dice up against the big boys at Flemington.

"She already has a group one weight-for-age win here so while another one here would be great, a placing in an Australian Cup might hold more credence when she heads to the broodmare paddock," said Ritchie.

"So we can't be everywhere and while it is a tough field she is right at her peak.

"And how she goes on Saturday might tell us whether we have a Melbourne spring horse for next season or are better off aiming at Hastings."

But Ritchie knows the "Bonecrusher effect" will be impossible to dodge in Melbourne, especially as the late champ's win over At Talaq in the Australian Cup had to be seen to be believed.

"I have already seen one story from over there this week mentioning it. It is hardly fair on poor Devise, being lumped in with Bonecrusher because of me."

Excalibur has a triple helping of Bonecrusher magic going for him, trained by Ritchie, part owned by Peter Mitchell who raced the champ and wearing his colours.

Ritchie is adamant he won't let the legacy down. "He has always raced like a horse who would handle 3200m," he says.

"And he has arrived here fit and ready to go. I think his barrier (2) suits because while he will get back he won't have to do any work in the first half of the race.

"And he is bred to stay. So I think he has a great chance."

Ladies First has opened the $4.20 favourite in a very even Cup market while Lizzie L'Amour will be a hot favourite in the Bonecrusher after her effortless Te Rapa victory under the same conditions last start.

But the group one Sistema Stakes for the juveniles could see a change from who would have been favourite a few days ago.

On Monday it would have seemed certain Karaka Million winner Avantage would be favoured to remain unbeaten but not only has Opie Bosson chosen to ride Sword Of Osman but the latter has draw the ace. Making things even tougher for Avantage is the fact she will start from the outside gate in the field of eight, with fellow unbeaten filly Melt at barrier six.