Horse racing: Nereus starts Kiwi Queensland invasion early

Nereus (centre) won the Counties Cup last November and now heads to Brisbane.

Multiple Group winner Nereus is being set for a Queensland campaign after powering into second in Saturday’s Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup at Trentham.

The Waikato Stud-owned son of Savabeel has a strong affinity with the Upper Hutt course, having won the Group 2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2400m) last year before finishing sixth in the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) in Victoria.

His trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray opted to take a different path with the gelding this season, winning the Group 3 Counties Cup (2100m) before testing his abilities over the two miles (3.2km) of the Group 3 Wellington Cup (3200m), which wasn’t to his liking.

Returning to 2200m, Nereus was right at home and after getting back, he recorded the fastest sectionals of the race to just come up short to Mehzebeen, who found the shortest way home up the rail.

“It was a fantastic run, he’s had a little break since the Wellington Cup and he went a brave third first up, which led into this race,” Ritchie said.

“I’ve got no doubt that he just didn’t run the two miles out there, it’s the only blotch in his record book really. He ranged up on the corner, but he just didn’t run the two miles out.

“He always tries extremely hard, he’s got the kindest nature and he’ll be a beautiful pony for a kid when he’s finished racing. He never dances in the birdcage, he just does everything you ask him to do and he puts in on race day.

“His mark area is a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half, so I think if we stick in those distance ranges, then he’s going to do well.”

Few opportunities remain for Nereus on home soil, so the stable is looking further afield with a likely kickoff point being the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) at Doomben on May 17.

“There’s really a limited amount left for him in New Zealand now, so at the sales, Mark Chittick [owner] suggested that we take him to Queensland for the Brisbane Winter Carnival,” Ritchie said. “There is a stream of races that will suit him over there.

“I’ve still got to confirm with Mark, but he’ll probably fly over in early May and the first run for him would be the Chairman’s Handicap then the Premier’s Cup [Group 3, 2400m], but there is a laundry list of cups races for him, like the Caloundra Cup [Listed, 2400m] and Ipswich Cup [Listed, 2150m] as well.

“He doesn’t mind a bit of cut in the track and you can often get a bit of rain in Queensland through the winter carnival there, so I’m sure that won’t be a bother to him at all.”

Joining Nereus on the transtasman journey will be newcomer Davideo, Ritchie’s latest purchase out of the Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale in England.

On a previous visit to the sale, Ritchie secured Mahrajaan, who went on to win the Group 3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) and Group 2 Auckland Cup (2400m), and was ruled out of running in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) last November in a vet inspection.

The Cambridge horseman, alongside De Burgh Equine, outlaid 130,000 guineas (about $130,000 pounds or $292,000) to purchase Davideo, a 5-year-old by Galileo who made his first Kiwi appearance at the Ellerslie trials on April 3.

“He’s being set for the Brisbane Cup [Group 2, 3200m],” Ritchie said.

“He’s a Galileo horse and is very much in the same mould as Mahrajaan. He’s looking like a two-mile sort of horse, he’s had one barrier trial so we’ll give him a run over a mile somewhere before he goes and he’ll be a good partner for Nereus for that campaign.”

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk