Liefting happy to keep Danza Lad home

Rudy Liefting is pleased he resisted the temptation to send Danza Lad over to join his stablemate Just Got Home in Melbourne last week.

Just Got Home, who finished a nose second to Prologue in the Waikato Hurdles, is in Melbourne being set for the A$200,000 Grand National Hurdles (3900m) at Warrnambool on Saturday week after finishing fifth in his Australian debut at Bendigo last Sunday.

“I was thinking of sending Danza Lad over to run last Saturday at Flemington in the Bourke (David Bourke Provincial Plate, 1610m) but it was a Good 4 track and wouldn’t have suited him,” said Liefting.

“It was worth A$100,000, but he’s better staying back here. He can run in the Taumarunui Cup on Saturday and that’s worth $65,000 then there’s the Winter Cup at Riccarton worth $100,000.”

Danza Lad has won nine of his 35 starts with his latest success coming two starts ago in the Listed James Bull Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m) at Awapuni. That was his third run this campaign and he then finished second-last in the Listed Ag Challenge Stakes at Wanganui after clipping a heel and faltering with 700 metres to run.

Though Danza Lad hasn’t raced since that May 30 failure, his fitness has been kept up to the mark for the Listed Woods Group Taumarunui Gold Cup (2100m) on Saturday. He won a maiden hurdle trial at Cambridge a couple of weeks ago.

“He’s had a hurdle trial each year to keep his jumping ticket alive and eventually he will go jumping, but not yet,” said Liefting. “He can run in the Taumarunui Cup and he’s the sort of horse who likes the better side of heavy so Te Rapa should suit him.

“He’s done most of his racing over 1600 but he did run second in the Te Awamutu Cup (2000m) last year when he was beaten a nose by John Gray. I want to try him over ground again and Lee Magorrian will ride him.”

Liefting is also keen to tackle the Gr.3 eStar Winter Cup with Danza Lad and isn’t concerned about dropping him back to 1600 from the 2100 at Te Rapa on Saturday. “He’ll come back to 1600 no worries,” said Liefting.

Liefting has also nominated Joey Jonz for the 1600-metre Winter Cup on August 1 and is hoping he will sneak into the race by performing well in Trentham’s $40,000 Whyte Handicap on Saturday week.

“He likes really heavy, testing ground and he could get it at Trentham,” said Liefting.