Keep The Peace produced a magnificent trial for the upcoming Mudgway Stakes at Hastings on August 28 at yesterday's Te Teko barrier trials.
The high-class Cambridge mare finished second to pacemaker Alagant Satin, but impressed in coming from the tail of the field and finishing off at cruising speed.
"That's
just what I wanted to see," said trainer Shaune Ritchie.
"More importantly, she impressed her Mudgway rider [James McDonald] because it's always nice to have your jockey confident going into a major race."
While many of the Mudgway horses will have raced before the big Hastings race on August 28, Keep The Peace will go into it fresh, in which state, Ritchie believes, she races best.
"When she won the Desert Gold Stakes sitting three wide she hadn't raced for 10 weeks after the 1000 Guineas and that's hard to do. She doesn't need racing." Obsession finished third and Six O'Clock News fourth in the 1200m heat.
Speedster, Vincent Mangano proved too swift in his 1000m heat, beating Romario and El Primero by three lengths.
Ginga Dude, coming back from a torn leg muscle, narrowly beat 3-year-old The Diamond Duke in the other 1000m heat.
Ginga Dude hasn't raced since his injury in the Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. He had to contend with the worst of the footing along the inside.
The Diamond Duke was equally impressive.
The 2-year-old heats were won by a General Nediym colt from Rock Revival trained by Peter McKay, a Scaredee Cat-Pinnat filly with Stephen Autridge and a Savabeel-Illuminate gelding trained by John Sargent.
