High Chaparral Stayer Wins G3 Rotorua Cup

Media Release - Saturday May 15

Consistent stayer The Good Fight left his race rivals in his wake as he scooted clear in the home straight to take out the Gr.3 Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m) at Arawa Park on Saturday.

The Good Fight is out on his own at the finish of the Gr.3 Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m). Photo Credit: Trish Dunell

The six-year-old son of High Chaparral was having just his second run after a summer break following a disappointing showing in the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) in January but stripped a fit horse for trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray.

Settled in a handy position by rider Sam Collett, The Good Fight looked to be full of running when looming into contention at the 600m mark. Collett let him have his head on the home turn and The Good Fight bounded clear to crush his rivals in the last 300m, winning by five-lengths from Voler Pour Moi and Initiative who both ran on resolutely from well back in the pack.

Ritchie had been confident of a bold showing before the race but didn’t expect to see such a handsome winning margin.

Advertisement

“I’ve always felt he feels the harder tracks, but we’ve run him in the spring and summer as that is where the better money is for a staying horse like him,” he said.

“He had won quite easily on a heavy track earlier in his career, so we thought we’d put him away after the Wellington Cup and bring him back for a crack at a race like this.

“I think he loved it out there today as he just kept coming over the last 800m and looked good doing it.”

Ritchie was delighted with the ride by Collett who has been in a purple patch of form of late.

“Sam said to me before the race she was aware he hit flat spots in his races and that she was going to try and keep his momentum up when that happened,” Ritchie said.

“Her actual words were that he’s a lazy bugger and she’s right and even though she had him trucking along he still tried to pull up on her in the straight as he thought his job was done.”

Ritchie will now scan the racing calendar for further opportunities over the winter although he has an ambitious long-range plan for the horse.

“We had a go at the New Zealand Cup (Gr.3, 3200m) at Riccarton last year, but the ground was just too firm for him,” he said.

“This time we’ve been thinking about the Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool in November as it tends to be run on a wet track.

“It’s a race worth over A$300,000 and we think he is just the type of horse that would be suited as long as we can get him qualified.

“There is a qualifying race at New Plymouth in September that we would target, but at this stage it is just one of the thoughts that we have for him.”

Restricted to Australian and New Zealand-bred horses, the Jericho Cup is the brainchild of philanthropist and historian Bill Gibbins to commemorate a race held in the desert in Palestine during World War I.

New Zealand-bred horses have dominated the event with the inaugural race in 2018 won by Redwood gelding High Mode while in 2019 it was Ablaze, a son of Raise The Flag who took first prize, while last year the winner was Count Zero who is a son of the Grangewilliam Stud-based stallion Zed.

This years’ Jericho Cup will be run at Warrnambool on November 28.

The Good Fight is out of the well-performed Zabeel mare Pravda, who won three times at stakes level and was runner-up in the 1999 Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m). He has now won four of his 29 starts and has earned over $243,000 in prizemoney. – NZ Racing Desk

 

Advertisment

Race Result - Rotorua Cup Gr3 2200m

Arawa Park Track: Heavy(11) Time: 2:26.64
1
The Good Fight
- 6g High Chaparral (IRE) x Pravda (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: S Ritchie & C Murray Rdr: S T Collett 53
2
3.8
Voler Pour Moi
- 7m Pour Moi (IRE) x Tin Goose (NZ) (Pentire (GB))
Tnr: L O'Sullivan & A Scott Rdr: D S Johnson 53
3
6.3
Initiative
- 5m Reliable Man (GB) x Innovation (NZ) (Keeper (AUS))
Tnr: C R McCarroll Rdr: A C Goindasamy 53
4
6.4
Bakela
- 7g Bachelor Duke (USA) x Rough Crossing (NZ) (Prince Of Praise (NZ))
Tnr: K T Myers Rdr: S J Macnab 53
5
9.2
Paisley Park
- 6g Azamour (IRE) x Musical Magic (GB) (Mozart (IRE))
Tnr: G Richardson & R Norvall Rdr: L T Hemi 53
6
9.4
Spring Delight
- 5m Tavistock (NZ) x Ana Zeel (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: M Baker & A Forsman Rdr: C J Grylls 53.5
7
10.7
Rip Em Up
- 5m Rip Van Winkle (IRE) x Bak Da Princess (NZ) (Danske (NZ))
Tnr: S B Marsh Rdr: D J Danis 53
8
12.7
Hunta Pence
- 8g No Excuse Needed (GB) x Vanitas (NZ) (Pins (AUS))
Tnr: F P Campbell Rdr: V A Colgan 55
9
16.5
Easy M'lady
- 5m Super Easy (NZ) x Touch Of Spark (NZ) (Spartacus (IRE))
Tnr: V A Prendergast Rdr: S R Weatherley 54
10
19.3
Verry Flash
- 6g Zed (NZ) x Opulence (NZ) (Danroad (AUS))
Tnr: N P Bishara Rdr: L H Satherley 53
11
20.3
Platinum Rapper
- 5m Makfi (GB) x Wednesday Rocks (NZ) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: Ms L Latta Rdr: T D Thornton 53
12
23.1
Cassio
- 6g Guillotine (NZ) x Classic Babe (NZ) (Classic Fame (USA))
Tnr: S Ralph Rdr: T L Newman 53
13
24.9
Big Mike
- 8g Don Eduardo (NZ) x Landvetter (NZ) (Felix The Cat (USA))
Tnr: Craig & Shaun Phelan Rdr: J K Riddell 57.5
14
40.9
Peso
- 9g Colombia (NZ) x All Magic (NZ) (Victory Dance (IRE))
Tnr: P Nelson & C McDougal Rdr: K R Hercock 54
More Reading...
Antrim Coast to Fly Flag for The Oaks Stud
The well-renowned colours of The Oaks Stud will feature across two feature Trans-Tasman meetings this week, kicking off with Antrim Coast lining up in the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.
Coolmore Set Justify Fee for 2025
Coolmore have announced the US fee for Justify in 2025 with the undefeated Triple Crown winner priced at $US250,000 to head  their roster of 16 stallions at Ashford Stud in Kentucky.
Melbourne Cup Pedigree Analysis - Do It Yourself
Breednet has produced a great page with click through to five generation pedigrees for all the Melbourne Cup runners, so for amateur pedigree buffs looking to have a Cup flutter based pedigree here’s your chance  to DIY it!
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
More Stakes Success for Air Assault
Group I placed last season in the SA Derby, talented gelding Air Assault kept the winning run going for Victoria Derby winning trainer Andrew Gluyas when taking out the Listed SAJC John Letts Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup Day.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
Kiwi Bred Grey Wins Subzero for OTI at Flemington
New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.