With Warrnambool’s Jericho Cup (4600m) now only five weeks away, a golden ticket into the A$300,000 race is up for grabs in Saturday’s $40,000 NZB Airfreight Road to Jericho (3000m) at Riccarton.
This is the second of two qualifying heats staged in New Zealand every spring, with Quota (NZ) (Makfi) winning the North Island heat at New Plymouth last month.
As sponsors, NZB Airfreight will offer a $5,000 equine airfreight credit for the winner of each qualifying race, should they decide to travel across the Tasman and contest the Jericho Cup.
Inaugurated in 2018, the Jericho Cup is open to Australian and New Zealand-bred horses only, commemorating the light horse involvement in World War I and run on the fourth Sunday after the Group One Melbourne Cup (3200m). The original Jericho Cup was run in 1918 over three miles through desert sands. Its 100th anniversary was marked with the introduction of the modern Jericho Cup four years ago.
The New Zealand influence on the Jericho Cup has quickly taken hold, with the first three winners all bred on this side of the Tasman – High Mode (NZ) (Redwood), Ablaze (NZ) (Raise the Flag) and Count Zero (NZ) (Zed). But there has not yet been a New Zealand-trained winner, and the COVID-19 pandemic prevented any Kiwi involvement in both 2020 and 2021. With border restrictions now relaxed, 2022 provides an opportunity to change that.
Saturday's race has drawn a talented field of 13, many of which will potentially use this weekend as a stepping stone towards either the Jericho Cup or the Group Three New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton on November 12.
The NZB Airfreight Road to Jericho will be run as Race 5 at Riccarton on Saturday, with a start time of 1.45pm.
| # | HORSE | DRAW | COMMENTS | SALE | PURCHASER | TRAINER | JOCKEY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Botti | 6 | From the Wanganui stable of astute horseman Kevin Myers, seven-year-old gelding Botti (NZ) (Jakkalberry) has found good form in recent weeks in a mixture of jumping and flat roles. He won two flat races at Waverley in August and September, then finished second in a maiden hurdle at Woodville. Overall, he has won six races and over $146,000 in stakes. | 2017 Premier Sale | Phill Cataldo Bloodstock, $100,000 | Kevin Myers | Tina Comignaghi |
| 2 | Athene | 11 | Well-performed local mare Athene (NZ) (Raise The Flag) brings a consistent form line into Saturday's race. She has finished in the first four in all of her last seven races, dating back to June. She was an emphatic winner over 2000 metres here on September 17, and she has won a total of five races in her 30-start career. | Terri Rae | Krishna Mudhoo | ||
| 3 | Five Princes | 8 | Five Princes (NZ) (Red Giant) is the winner of five races, four of them on this track. His form has dipped since winning over 2200 metres at Ashburton in July, but his solid finishes in his last couple suggest that the step up to 3000 metres will suit. | Stephen Marsh | Diego Montes de Oca | ||
| 4 | Wannabe 'N' Paris | 12 | Second in this last year, Wannabe 'N' Paris (NZ) (Reliable Man) went on to win the Listed Riverton Cup (2147m) in April of this year. However, she has finished outside the placings in seven appearances since. | Paul Harris | Joe Kamaruddin | ||
| 5 | Deels Done | 5 | Go Racing gelding Deels Done (NZ) (Dundeel) has been a previous winner at Riccarton, and he produced a strong finish for third behind race rival Athene (NZ) (Raise The Flag) here on September 17. He gives the impression that 3000 metres will be within his range. | 2017 Premier Sale | Go Racing, $100,000 | Stephen Marsh | Kylie Williams |
| 6 | Leitrim Lad | 1 | Leitrim Lad (NZ) (Tavistock) has won six times on the flat and once over hurdles, the latter coming over this 3000-metre distance at Rotorua in June. He also placed in the Taumarunui Gold Cup (2200m) at Te Rapa on July 30. Riccarton has so far yielded little success for the gelding, who has been unplaced in five starts here. | Eamonn Green | Terry Moseley | ||
| 7 | On The Rivet | 13 | Ruakaka visitor On The Rivet (NZ) (Sweet Orange) has headed south with good form under his belt, with his last five starts producing two wins, two thirds and a fourth. | Ken Rae & Krystal Williams | Jasmine Fawcett | ||
| 8 | Extrememiss | 3 | A daughter of Group One-winning mare Ekstreme (NZ) (Ekraar), five-race winner Ekstrememiss (NZ) (Cape Blanco) won two races at Riccarton in August and September. She has been unplaced in her last couple, but will be suited by a strongly run test of stamina. | 2017 Select Sale | BD Revell, $15,000 | Leonard Stewart | |
| 9 | Zambezi Zipper | 10 | Zambezi Zipper (NZ) (Highly Recommended) has run some good races over 2200 metres, most notably an 11-length win at Wingatui in July. This is the first attempt beyond that distance for the five-year-old mare, who has been a three-time winner from 38 career starts. | 2019 South Island Sale | Psd, Res $20,000 | Kelvin & Aimee Tyler | Kozzi Asano |
| 10 | Nassak Diamond | 7 | Cambridge mare Nassak Diamond (NZ) (Roc De Cambes) is the only horse to contest both Jericho Cup qualifiers in New Zealand this spring. She lined up over 3210 metres at New Plymouth on September 17, finishing third and two lengths from the winner Quota (NZ) (Makfi). The four-year-old mare has had 13 starts in her career for two wins and five placings. | Shaune Ritchie & Colm Murray | Lisa Allpress | ||
| 11 | Eulogy Show | 2 | Eulogy Show (NZ) (Highly Recommended) heads into this race in some of the best form of her career, winning over 2000 metres at this track on September 17 and finishing second over the same course and distance two weeks later. She was also a 10-length winner over 2200 metres in May. | Centaine Spittles | Samantha Wynne | ||
| 12 | Jildi Jildi | 4 | Veteran mare Jildi Jildi (NZ) (Ekraar) has had 20 starts for one win - at Ashburton in August of 2019. She recently returned from two years on the sidelines, finishing 10th, fifth, fifth and seventh in her first few runs back. | Sarah Dring | |||
| 13 | Red Sunday | 9 | Red Sunday (NZ) (Hallowed Crown) faded after working hard in a wide run at Ashburton last weekend, but there was plenty of merit in his two previous runs over 2000 metres. | Karaka 2018, Book 2 | Bruce Perry Bloodstock, $45,000 | Paul Harris | Brandon May |
