"I was very happy with that," said Ritchie, who will try to get Showcause into the Melbourne Cup after victories in the Avondale Cup and City Of Auckland Cup off the back of his New Zealand Cup win.
"He's steadily getting fitter."
Son Shaune is similarly delighted with the way My Scotsgrey is coming back after a lengthy break from racing.
His stablemates Keep The Peace and Roi d'Jeu were not asked for anything serious late in their gallop and they also recorded 61 for the 1000m, being slightly slower than the other pair from the 600m when allowed to take it easy.
Keep The Peace beat Wall Street in the first leg of the Hastings treble last year, but will almost certainly skip that race this time.
The mare is now owned in New York and the new owner is keen to establish Australian black type for Keep The Peace's broodmare career.
"The Let's Elope Stakes is the week after the first Hastings race and it's a group two 1400m at Flemington," said Shaune Ritchie.
Ritchie has suggested James McDonald stays with Keep The Peace, but that has yet to be confirmed.
"The owner likes to have a say in who rides, so we'll wait and see."
Mufhasa went off behind the other two pairs and was not asked for anything special from the 600m.
"I didn't want him to do too much, just a nice hit-out to take the edge off him because he's pretty fresh and well at the moment," said trainer Stephen McKee.
McKee will line Mufhasa up fresh in the $200,000 Challenge Stakes at Hastings late in the month.
Nothing has been confirmed about another possible Australian campaign.
"The owners seem pretty keen, but he'd have to run really well in the first two legs of the Hastings treble to make the trip."
* Difficult to get value in the little fields at Pukekohe today.
A couple of each-way hopes at Riccarton that should go close are Karlos in the Koral Steeples and Gossiping in Race 3.
* Fabulous to see some class back at the track at the Te Teko trials.
Lion Tamer went huge in winning his open heat and stablemate Harris Tweed, in his first public appearance since a respiratory operation, impressed in finishing third.
A decision has yet to be made on where either horse will resume racing.
Lion Tamer, the A$1.5 million Victoria Derby winner, will race first in either the A$200,000 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on August 27 or the $200,000 Hawkes Bay Challenge Stakes at Hastings the same day.
Harris Tweed's options are the open 1600m at Hastings that day or a Listed 1700m handicap at Caulfield.
"Both horses have done well since the trial," said trainer Murray Baker yesterday.
Harris Tweed, sixth in the last two Melbourne Cups, will probably not display the success or otherwise of his throat operation until he undergoes the pressure of raceday conditions.
"So far everything looks good," says Baker.
Dom Domingo went stylishly to split Lion Tamer and Harris Tweed in their heat. Of the raced horses Sangster and St Germaine caught the eye.
Cambridge's Trent Busuttin was a relieved trainer after Sangster easily won his open heat against essentially older horses.
Sangster scored a six-length victory on debut then started $2.10 favourite in the Castletown Stakes, but finished 11th of 14. Busuttin has no idea what went wrong, which is why this barrier trial was critical.
There are options, one of which might be the Spring Champion Stakes in Sydney. "Some of the owners are pretty keen on that," said Busuttin.
"It's 2000m and this horse is bred to run 3200m."
St Germaine was never given her head in finishing a close second in her trial.
Brett McDonald looks to have a decent maiden in the unnamed Darci Brahma-Boito Belle 3-year-old, which is from one of the Pencarrow families.
The gelding was slow away for James McDonald, but easily picked up the field in the closing stages.
Roger James' Encosta De Largo-Foxwood colt strolled home in his heat.
A Strategic Image-Perky Lass colt with Danica Guy had the privilege of winning the first juvenile heat of the season in the north. The athletic colt galloped straight and true in front to win by seven lengths.
Peter McKay's General Nediym-Miss Keaton colt got home by only two lengths in the second, but was no less impressive.
Guy produced the third and final juvenile winner, a nicely put together Fast'N' Famous-Bella Boyd colt.
