Racing: Not Ideal gets ideal Ruakaka start

Not Ideal returns to domestic racing tomorrow after making his mark in Hong Kong. Photo / Race Images

A lot has changed since the last time Not Ideal was racing in New Zealand.

The six-year-old returns to domestic racing at Ruakaka tomorrow after a successful career in Hong Kong, to where he was exported after winning his only two New Zealand starts.

They were back in December 2019 and January 2020, but he has hardly been idle since, racing 16 times in Hong Kong. After taking a long time to settle, he recorded four wins — two each at Sha Tin and Happy Valley.

But when niggles started to affect him he was, like so many former Kiwi gallopers in Hong Kong, returned to New Zealand where Cambridge trainer Ken Harrison feels lucky to have been entrusted with him.

“When you watch some of his videos from up there he is a pretty serious horse,” says Harrison.

“He obviously had his issues and was a six-year-old so his owners probably wanted to use that permit for another horse so we are really happy to have him back down here.”

Harrison says Not Ideal is almost 17 hands and has not had too much pressure put on him in training, so he is likely to need the run tomorrow.

“His big aim is the Winter Cup at Riccarton but he has to start off somewhere and I thought the track at Ruakaka would be better for him than most he could trial on.

“But it will be hard under 62kg. We thought about claiming but I am happy to have Kozzi [Asano] on and that is better than an apprentice with a whole lot of deadweight to carry.

“But if he is running on well I will be happy. I’d be surprised if he won.”

The 1400m event is a mix of stayers, middle distance horses and locals but the key factors all point to Follow Your Dreams being the one to beat.

Harrison also has Espresso To Go racing well out of his grade in the R86 staying contest over 2100m, and while he left maidens only three starts ago he was a strong second on this track over 2100m the next start.

“There was no other race for him so we will take him up there, too.”

The race has plenty of depth including five last-start winners in Hit The Road Jack, No Loitering, Poser, Cruisy Lass and Raajoices.

Poser was excellent winning the Rotorua Cup last start, but she is in the unusual position of being the only one of the first seven horses in the handicap without an apprentice claim, so she is a lot higher in the weights than when she carried 53kg last start.