Leaderboard impresses with a dominant victory in his first New Zealand win
Confidently ridden by Troy Harris, the Fortuna Syndications international recruit Leaderboard (5 g Street Cry – Flower Fairy, by Dynaformer) appreciated Riccarton’s wide expanses to win the $22,500 Pryde’s Easifeed Rating 65 1600 metres on Saturday..
Patience is a Harris trademark – his father Noel had it down pat – and the ride by Troy exemplified the skill. Away well but content to steady off a competitive pace, Harris had Leaderboard travelling beautifully in 10th before tracking up with a lapful of horse into the straight and the outcome looked probable after being presented widest at the 200m.
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Winning at his second start in New Zealand, Leaderboard ($4.30 & $1.90) had clocked the fastest last 600m (36.1), coming from last to finish fourth when having his first NZ start in the Rating 65 1300 metres on 20 September at Taupo, and so had strong appeal to punters who sent him out favourite at Riccarton.
“I like this horse and it was a super run,” said trainer Jamie Richards, not long before saddling Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle) in the Cox Plate (Gr. 1, 2040m). “He’s shown us plenty since he arrived, and a horse that John Galvin bought from Europe.
“He’s a lovely, big, athletic horse, with a good attitude and we sent him down to the South Island looking for better ground. We’ll pick out another race during the carnival, either a Rating 72 1600m or 2000m, and it looks like there’s plenty more wins in front of him.”
Owned by the Fortuna Leaderboard Syndicate headed up by John Galvin and with the stable name “Tiger” he was purchased last October by International Blood Stock agent Hubie De Burgh at the Tattersalls Horses In Training sale at Newmarket in the U.K. for 70,000 Guineas, soon after winning a Maiden race over 2400 metres in Ireland. By Street Cry, the sire of Winx and out of a Dynaformer mare, he looks an ideal staying prospect to work through the grades downunder.
Soon after accepting the accolades, Galvin said: “It’s a room (winner’s circle) I’ve been in a few times here at Riccarton in the past. We have a lot of Stakes winners here over the years, Tell A Tale won the Canterbury Stakes and the 2000 Guineas for us here in 2008, Zabene won the Metroplitan Trophy and the full sisters Darci’s Dream and Windborne won the Canterbury Belle Stakes in successive seasons. There are around 60 owners from all over NZ in the group and we had about 15 on course. Most were from Christchurch, but also Ian and Christine Price from New Plymouth. Tiger is their very first horse and a winner for them at his second start.
“Troy said the horse did nothing in the early run and was just content to lope along and the further he goes the better he will be. He had a few traffic problems trying to find a gap in the straight but once he came off heels and went to the outside it never looked in doubt. We think he’s a serious racehorse and Jamie has been thrilled with him. While today wasn’t a huge test, it was still a test and he’s done it. So, well done to everyone involved.
“I had asked Hubie de Burgh to find a European bred stayer that had a typical stayers pedigree and the type that could turn into a Cups horse down here in New Zealand and Australia. So, he went to last year’s Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale and picked him out. We had a budget of 70 to 80,000 Guineas and we got him for the budget. He had a slight setback in the autumn, which was probably a blessing in disguise, because in that time he’s filled out, matured, and developed. He’s got a real turn of foot – Jamie likes that and also that he bounces out of his box each morning and gets straight into his work. He is a very sound, straightforward horse and although a five-year-old he’s really only four to Northern Hemisphere time because he was born in May 2015. Te Akau Assistant Trainer Paul Richards has been really happy with him down here and said his work on Tuesday was super.”
Leaderboard was strapped by Lydia Truesdale.