Group targets are on the horizon for Ruby Ridge (Majestic Son) following her harness racing win in the MVS Equine Handicap Trot (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday (Dec. 29).
She was dropping back from Auckland grade, however, she had to overcome her 35m back mark and co-trainer Vaughan Blanchard admitted to being slightly concerned about that impost during the running.
However, she showed her talents when running over the top of her rivals late to win by three-quarters of a length over Bun In The Oven, with a further nose back to Safrakova in third.
āShe is a bit of a stable favourite. Her work has been really good and I didnāt think it was a bad run last start at Auckland. Over the mile she got caught parked,ā said Blanchard, who trains in partnership with his father Peter.
āI was a little bit worried with a lap out, she hadnāt really tacked on, but she showed a good turn of foot up the straight and I was really happy with how she raced.ā
RUBY RIDGE REPLAY
The win capped a great year for Ruby Ridge, who won three of her 20 starts, placing in 10 others, including the Gr.3 Waikato Trotting Breedersā Stakes (2700m) and Gr.3 Northern Breedersā Stakes (2700m).
The Group Three trotting features are once again on the cards for the rising six-year-old, who will now head for a slight freshen-up.
āThere a few of those mares races coming up in the new year, she placed in all of them this year, so we will likely give her a slight freshen-up and aim her for them,ā Blanchard said.
Earlier on the card, the Blanchards were once again in the winnerās circle, welcoming back Rossellini after her victory in the Garrards Horse & Hound Handicap Trot (2200m).
āShe went really well on Christmas Eve (for third), so I thought if she could emulate that run she would be thereabouts,ā Blanchard said.
āThe run last week brought her on and she went really well. She is trotting really well and when you get in that zone it is good to keep them like that.ā
Prior to her last start placing, Rossellini had been struggling to find form, however, a change in shoeing has worked wonders for the mare.
āHer bloods werenāt good after her previous run in the campaign, and we tampered around with her shoeing a bit. It was just a bit of trial and error, and a couple of things seemed to work,ā Blanchard said.
āWe will let the dust settle after tonight and maybe pick a race out at Cambridge in the next week or so.ā
For complete race results, click here.