Shaune Ritchie’s Costae ready for New Zealand 1000 Guineas challenge

Costae will line-up in Saturday's Group 1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton Park. Photo / Kenton Wright (Race Images)

Emerging filly Costae has taken the rarest of avenues to the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, where she will bid to deliver a dream result for a new ownership group.

The daughter of Ribchester successfully progressed through a Polytrack path before an impressive last-start victory at Ellerslie to book her place in Saturday’s Barneswood Farm-sponsored Classic.

Trained by Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray, Costae placed in her first two runs on the Cambridge Synthetic track before she won on the Awapuni all-weather.

“She was purchased by OTI Racing earlier this week after she came on [agent] Phill Cataldo’s radar after her win at Palmerston North and then at Ellerslie,” Ritchie said.

“She will run in OTI’s colours, and it will come down to her performance whether she stays for the Karaka Millions [Listed, 1600m] or transfers to an Australian trainer.

“The original owners, including myself, have kept small shares in her.”

Costae’s road to Riccarton via a mainly synthetic build-up was largely determined by the weather.

“It’s unusual form for a Group 1, apart from her last start, and to be honest I think both Guineas fields may have suffered through wet tracks through the spring,” Ritchie said.

“We weren’t comfortable running her on heavy tracks and we’ve got a Polytrack in our backyard, so it was easier to run her there.

“The Pearl Series bonus was why she went to Manawatū, and she was quite dominant in that race.

“We didn’t think she was just a poly horse, the way the bonuses set up it was financially more favourable to run her in those races.”

Costae continued her winning trot on the turf, with her last start defeat of a handy age-group line-up.

“We were a little bit cocky when we ran her at Ellerslie and felt she would run a much better race than her form lines would suggest and so it happened,” Ritchie said.

“She has come on in leaps and bounds, she’s been interesting and puts herself in the race and she’s drawn a favourable gate [one].

“You’d assume she will get the run of the race with a bit of natural gate speed and if it plays like everybody’s map, she’ll follow the favourite [Alabama Lass] and will get every chance.

“The only problem with barrier one might be a bit of wear and tear on the rail after two days of racing, but in saying that the track has raced terrific.”

The stable will also have a strong chance in Saturday’s northern feature with Pearl Of Alsace in the Group 2 Gartshore Tauranga Stakes (1600m).

The Tavistock mare is coming off midfield finishes in the Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) and the Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m).

“We informed the stewards that she was served by Proisir two weeks ago and she’s walking around the place like she owns the joint, so hopefully that sort of attitude goes into the race on Saturday,” Ritchie said.

“I thought her last run was really good, she was wide and had to work hard and was in front halfway down the straight, it was better than it reads on paper.”

Pride Of Alsace’s main goal is the TAB Mufhasa Classic (Group1, 1600m) at Trentham in three weeks.

“These two races set up nicely for her, this one will top her off, but she is ready to go and we are expecting her to be hard to beat.”

Meanwhile, promising stablemate Tuxedo will also be in action at Trentham on Friday in the JR & N Berkett 3YO (1400m) after making a winning debut at Te Aroha.

“He’s a big strider and needs a long straight, I think he’s a pretty serious horse and will end up a nice stayer in the autumn and is certainly one to watch when he gets up over more ground,” Ritchie said.

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk