Dawn Approach Colt Chasing Group One

Media Release - Thursday November 8

Veteran trainer Frank Ritchie is looking to land his first Group I  New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) with lightly-raced gelding Dawn Patrol, who tackles the Al Basti Equiworld sponsored feature at Riccarton on Saturday.

Dawn Patrol - Trish DunnellThe 74-year-old trainer believes Dawn Patrol, unbeaten in two starts, provides him with his best opportunity to win the three-year-old classic since the great Bonecrusher finished third off an interrupted preparation in 1985.

"He worked over 1400m on Saturday morning at Cambridge on the course proper and I was very happy with his work," Ritchie said.

"It was a good solid hit-out.

"On Tuesday he had a nice, quiet piece of work and he was due to fly out in the early hours of Wednesday morning, but that was aborted due to fog in Christchurch, so he was delayed by 24 hours."

Ritchie said the Guineas was not initially a target for the son of Dawn Approach, but improved racing manners has given him the confidence that Dawn Patrol can be a factor.

"He's eligible for the Karaka Million and that was always his target in the beginning," he said.

"After he won a trial, I thought it would be hard to get him ready in time for the Guineas.

"He's an aggressive horse and he likes to get on with his work. I don't have to work him in company very often, because he does it himself.

"His ringcraft is not as good as I would like, but he is getting better, he is conditioned-up and it is a half million-dollar race."

Dawn Patrol has won both of his raceday starts at Matamata and trialed well when third at Te Aroha since his most recent victory on October 13.

"I didn't want to run in the Sarten as it was only eight days after his last win. I didn't want to back him up. Physically he recovers immediately as he is a pretty strong horse, but mentally he takes a day or two.

"I was quite delighted with his trial. Passing Shot and Stratocaster were in it and they had both won sprint races at their previous runs. He just settled beautifully, and he went to the line under a hold and only half a length from those two sprinters."

Jason Waddell will take the reins on Saturday, where Dawn Patrol has drawn barrier eight, and Ritchie said he didn't need to give instructions to the leading hoop.

"Jason Waddell is right up there with the best. One of his great attributes is his ability to read a race and he studies it. He has great judgement on a horse and knows what the opposition is doing. He is just a natural horseman."

Ritchie would dearly love to win the race for owner Rex Jensen, who has been a client of the stable for more than 40 years and for whom he prepared Winning Wave to win the 1997 Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m).

"He's a huge enthusiast who just loves his racing and he selected this horse because he wanted a yearling by Dawn Approach. He had seen Dawn Approach race in England," Ritchie said.

"It would give me great joy to win him a major race. Much more joy than the stakes or anything. You can't buy how he'd feel if he won."

The trainer also said there had been an "astounding offer" from overseas interests to purchase the horse after his second win which had been turned down.

Ritchie has a team of around 15 horses in work, with five of them owned by Hong Kong connections and earmarked to do their future racing in that jurisdiction if deemed good enough.

The experienced horseman has no plans of retiring anytime soon and said he still loves the job and the industry.

"I like to keep fit and I am fortunate enough to have a job that helps me do that and I still enjoy it. As long as I've got clients who are willing to stick around it's good." – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
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.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
Diamond Thunders Home to Win $100,000 MM Wyong Stakes
Last seen winning the Listed ATC Sir Brian Crowley Stakes at Randwick in late October, the Mark Newnham trained three year-old Diamond Thunder booked his ticket to Magic Millions day at the Gold Coast with a brilliant win in the $100,000 Magic Millions Wyong Stakes on Thursday.
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
Dawn Approach's Dawn Passage Stakes Claim for the Golden Rose
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Dawn Passage stamped himself a colt with a future when he defeated a handy field by upwards of three and a half lengths when making his career debut at Randwick in January and it did not take long for the son of Dawn Approach (IRE) to stamp himself as a player in the big three-year-old races in the spring.
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.
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.
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.
Dawn Patrol Wins G3 Sweynesse Stakes
Enigmatic four-year-old Dawn Patrol made a welcome return to the winner’s enclosure when he took out the Group III Sweynesse Stakes (1215m) at Rotorua with a powerful finishing burst.
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.