Racing: Reevederci says arrivederci

The decision to race Reevederci at Avondale yesterday paid off handsomely. Photo / Trish Dunell

The connections of Reevederci pulled the right rein when they let the youngster take his chance at Avondale yesterday.

They had concerns about the heavy going but rolled the dice and the grey coasted to a debut victory in the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Pearl Series Race over 1200m.

Reevederci sat back off the pace before he was angled off the rail and he bounded to the lead 200m from home and then cleared out to score by a widening eight-and-a-half lengths from Team Rogerson's Quintana.

"It was up in the air whether he ran but we decided to and he'll be going out now and then come back for the spring and summer," trainer Lance Noble said.

Victory continued a rewarding holiday weekend for rider Leith Innes, who on Saturday had an equally trouble-free time at Doomben aboard the group two O'Shea Stakes (2200m) winner Egg Tart for Chris Waller.

Reevederci was unplaced in his first trial at Taupo in February before he came back to run second in an 800m heat at Cambridge earlier this month.

"He reared at the start and missed it before he tracked up and hit the line well, and that's not always easy to do at Cambridge," Noble said.

Bred and raced by Cambridge Stud's Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Reevederci is a son of Reliable Man and the Irish-bred Danehill Dancer mare Sussex Dancer, whose four foals to race are now all winners.

While Innes was starring in Queensland on Saturday, he wasn't the only Kiwi horseman to leave Doomben happy after the O'Shea Stakes.

A gritty run for third behind Egg Tart has convinced trainer Pukekohe Nigel Tiley that stable staying star Megablast is on target to contest the group two Brisbane Cup (2200m) this Saturday.

The free-going grey battled on strongly in the run home after setting a solid pace throughout, although Tiley believes he could have finished closer if circumstances had played slightly more in his favour.

"There wasn't any real speed in the race so we went forward to try and dictate to them," he said.

"They came up and had a look at him at the 1000m mark, which probably was his undoing a little, as I think if he could have got a cheap sectional there, then he would have definitely run second.

"The winner was far too strong in a race that was really hers to lose. However, my bloke battled on really strongly and I was delighted with the run."

Tiley was also pleased with how the Shinko King six-year-old came through the race as he looks forward to the major assignment of his Brisbane campaign.

"He ate everything we put in front of him overnight and drank plenty of water so I'm very pleased with how he has come through the run," he said.

"We'll monitor him over the next day or so, but at this stage, he will line up in the Cup.

"The weather forecast looks as though they might see some rain during the week, which will also help him, although they wouldn't want too much given how that Doomben track has played of late."

- NZ Racing Desk