The Laurie Laxon duo of Huka Falls and Ruapehu underlined their sparkling forms when they shone in the last two barrier trials on Tuesday, with their trainer hopeful the wins will translate into the ones that matter this weekend.
The more dominant winner of the pair was Ruapehu who smashed his rivals by 10 lengths in the last heat, albeit he was ridden out inside the last 200m. He will contest the $80,000 Class 3 race over 1100m on Saturday while his better-known Silver Fern Racing stablemate Huka Falls, who took out the trial before by leading all the way, races in Sunday’s $125,000 Phumelela Gaming & Leisure Trophy, a Kranji Stakes A race over 1200m on Polytrack.
Gun jockey Glen Boss rode both geldings in their hit-outs and will again jump aboard Huka Falls on Sunday, but it’s Antonio da Silva who partners Ruapehu on Saturday.
Laxon could not fault the duo’s conditions going into the weekend’s races but cautioned not to take too much away from their trial wins.
“Huka Falls looks all right, doesn’t he? He won a nice trial from the front but he ran a pretty slow time (62.23secs),” said Laxon of his Polytrack stalwart.
“He’s drawn 10, but he always shows good gate speed. He doesn’t have to lead; it’s all up to Glen to decide where to put him.
“The other thing is it’s a Kranji Stakes A race and he’s never really done well in such races. Let’s hope he proves me wrong on Sunday.”
In his 16 wins, the Align seven-year-old has scored three times in those set-weight events. A check on his more recent record in the last two years, he scored four wins all with Michael Rodd up, three of them in open handicap races and only one in a Kranji Stakes A race, which was his last win on January 31.
Weights and measures aside, Laxon could not afford to be too picky for the big chestnut’s next assignment, especially after an ambitious overseas plan did not come off.
The Kiwi handler nominated Huka Falls for the Keeneland Korea Sprint (1200m) at Seoul on September 11, along with Daniel in the Keeneland Korea Cup (1800m), but both gallopers did not make the cut.
Huka Falls’ last run when sixth to Rafaello in a BM97 race (turf) over 1200m was clearly not a good harbinger to his chances of representing Singapore, with Laxon having already spotted Sunday’s race even before he was left out. The nod went to the Theo Kieser-trained Super Winner who will be one of Huka Falls’ rivals on Sunday.
“I knew he would not be selected for the Korean race after his last run, and this race suited him,” he said.
As for Ruapehu, Laxon said the Stravinsky six-year-old will not be without a say in his race.
“He was good in that trial. He is drawn wide in 10, but he’s better off out wide as he’s a horse who needs to get his own rhythm, he doesn't like to be pushed up,” he said.
“He looks a good chance in that race. He will be at his second run this prep and he should run a bold race.”
A four-time winner between 1000m and 1400m, Ruapehu is a lightly-raced sort who can handle both turf and Polytrack and will be back in Class 3 company. His last win came in a Class 4 race over 1000m two starts back when ridden by Michael Rodd on November 20 last year.
