A decision will be made this morning on which race top-class filly Keep The Peace runs in at Te Rapa on Saturday.
Keep The Peace has accepted for the group one $200,000 Darci Brahma International Stakes and the $100,000 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic.
The owners and trainer Shaune
Ritchie talked into the night to come up with the best option in what could prove to be a critical decision going forward to the autumn.
Keep The Peace is owned by former champion Australian jockey Mick Dittman and his mate Paul Bellingham. The pair market and manage horses to Asia.
Communication in the past 24 hours has not been easy.
"Mick is coming back to live on the Gold Coast, but at the moment he's in Singapore," said Shaune Ritchie yesterday.
"We'll be talking late tonight to see where we'll be going."
In the Darci Brahma, Keep The Peace faces last year's winner MacO'Reilly, Tell A Tale, impressive first-day winner Veloce Bella, December's Waikato Gold Cup winner Passchendaele and fellow 3-year-old Monaco Consul.
The main opposition in the Sir Tristram is likely to come from Katie Lee and Veronica Franco, who beat Katie Lee at Manawatu and November Rain, who was huge getting beaten a nose and half a head in the Wellington Guineas.
Jason Waddell will ride Keep The Peace in the Sir Tristram, but no rider has been confirmed for the filly at 52kg in the Darci Brahma.
Monaco Consul drew the favourable No 4 barrier draw in what is a critical race for the Victoria Derby winner in the Darci Brahma.
The valuable colt jarred up running at Ellerslie over the carnival and needs a strong performance on Saturday.
Anything like his Melbourne and Sydney form would put him right in contention.
Million-dollar Telegraph winner Vonusti has drawn mid-field at No 7 in the group one $200,000 Waikato Draught sprint.
The difference this time will be that Vonusti carried 52.5kg in the Telegraph Handicap and has to jump up to the 59kg here under the weight-for-age scale.
For the way he races, Mufhasa has drawn nicely at No 4 for the Waikato Draught.
Southern raider O'Cartier looks well placed to increase his recent great formline.
O'Cartier was good enough to win the Higgins Memorial at Manawatu in December and can be forgiven his recent defeat.
Wealth Princess has been a surprise nomination for the Waikato Draught.
The high-class mare was brought undone by the wet track at Trentham for the Telegraph at her last start and indications were she would be given a break.
Making it difficult for her this time is the No 12 barrier draw and the fact she climbs dramatically in weight because of the rise from handicap racing to weight-for-age.
She carried 52.5kg in the Telegraph and has 57kg on Saturday.
Acceptances for the feature races at Te Rapa on Saturday:
2.57: Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic, $100,000, 3yof sw, 2000m.- Katie Lee (2), Keep The Peace (8), Veronica Franco (1), Marsh Harbour (17), La Collina (10), Obsession (11), Corsage (5), Miss Sharapova (15), November Rain (4), Pezzaglia (18), C'mon Cuba (16), Barbara Michelle (6), Prairie Star (14), Utopia (13), Posavina (12), Translated (3). Emergencies: Miraflores (7), Sazzana (9) 56.
4.17: Darci Brahma International Stakes, $200,000, group one, wfa, 2000m.- MacO'Reilly (6), Mandela (9), Tell A Tale (2), Spectacular Icon (1) 59; Veloce Bella (7), Awesome Planet (8), Passchendaele (5), Mary's Book (10) 57; Monaco Consul (4) 54; Keep The Peace (3) 52.
5.37: Waikato Draught Sprint, $200,000, group one, wfa, 1400m.- O'Cartier (3), Mufhasa (4), Tavistock (11), Veloz (9), Vonusti (7), Alpha Pukeko (13), Keano (10), Kiloton (1), Arlington (2) 59; Ruud Van Slaats (8), Ekstreme (6), Wealth Princess (12) 57; Kaaptan (5) 55.5.
Stars clash on premier raceday
* Top-class filly Keep The Peace has been entered for the $200,000 * Darci Brahma Stakes and the $200,000 Waikato Draught Sprint.
* A decision will be made on which event she contests this morning.
* She faces tough opposition in the Darci Brahma in the form of MacO'Reilly, Tell A Tale, Veloce Bella, Passchendaele and Monaco Consul.
* $1 million Telegraph winner Vonusti has drawn mid-field at No 7 in the $200,000 Waikato Draught sprint.
sprinter O'Cartier will be ridden by Chris Johnson in the Waikato Draught Sprint on Saturday. Photo / Mark Mitchell
A decision will be made this morning on which race top-class filly Keep The Peace runs in at Te Rapa on Saturday.
Keep The Peace has accepted for the group one $200,000 Darci Brahma International Stakes and the $100,000 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic.
The owners and trainer Shaune
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