West Melton trainer Nigel McGrath is staying positive despite scratching Classie Brigade and Ears Burning from the New Zealand Cup last Thursday, then losing Sheriff out of Sires Stakes Series for three-year-olds despite winning at Addington last Friday.
“There is an old saying that the more bad luck you have, the closer you are to having some good luck,” McGrath said.
The good news with Classie Brigade is that he’s expected to make a full recovery from a mystery lameness, described as a “real head-scratcher” by the trainer.
“He’d raced at two, three and four and done quite a bit of travelling and never had a lame step in his life,” McGrath said.
“But after he jogged (two weeks ago) he was quite lame. We did multiple x-rays and scans on him but couldn’t pin-point the problem.”
After being freshened, McGrath says Classie Brigade is 98 percent right but had missed too much work to think about starting in the New Zealand Cup.
“It’s a real shame and just bad timing as it’s the main race of the year but the main thing is I still have a horse. He should be able to race in December.”
“There are good races on both sides of the Tasman after Christmas so we might even go to Aussie with him.”
Classie Brigade, a race rival of champion pacer Lazarus for the last two years, is the only one who has come remotely close to Lazarus, on a time basis, over 3200m.
The Bettor’s Delight entire paced a phenomenal 3:53.5 (1:57.4 mile-rate) to win the Invercargill Cup over two miles in late January, only slightly slower than Lazarus’s 3:53.1 New Zealand Cup-winning record time at Addington last November.
Classie Brigade has also paced the third-fastest ever mobile 2600m time in New Zealand, going 3:06.4 to win the Rangiora Classic last April.
The only faster winning times over the distance have been recorded by last season’s top three-year-old Vincent(AUS), who went 3:06 in the New Zealand Derby, and former stablemate Mr Mojito, who won in 3:06.3 at last year’s New Zealand Cup meeting for the All Stars stable.
“He’s a true stayer. He broke 4:00 in the Ashburton Cup over 3200m too (going 3:58.3 to beat stablemates Maverick and Ears Burning),” McGrath said.
Ears Burning was also eased in training after he didn’t come up as McGrath would have liked this spring.
“It looks like he might have had a bit of a virus,” he said.
The stable’s other tight class pacer Maverick resumed in the Methven Cup on October 15, but ran 10th behind the in-form Titan Banner.
Promising three-year-old Sheriff was issues a mandatory 30-day stand down from racing after he had a small bleed from both nostrils after last Friday’s easy grade race win.
“It came out of the blue. He’s only had three lifetime starts and had still won very comfortably but we’ll put him aside now,” McGrath said.
McGrath is now pinning his hopes on last season’s promising juvenile, Aloka, to build in confidence for the $170,000 NRM Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington on New Zealand Cup day, November 14.
“He’s been a real head-scratcher this term. Blair (Orange, driver) has come back in from both his starts and said he’s had plenty to offer but had to keep hold of him to keep him pacing.”
The Bettor’s Delight colt ran fourth in a Sires Stakes heat behind Pat’s Delight, The Devils Own and Sheriff, at Addington on October 6, which should be enough to earn him a spot in the final.
“There has been a lot of trial and error with him. We have altered his shoeing and made a gear change.”
“He has a lot of potential but is just lacking a bit of confidence at the moment. I’m sure he will come right and when he gets a lot of his confidence up he’ll start performing.”
McGrath may give him a start at either Invercargill or Kaikoura this weekend to fit him for the final Sires Stakes Heat at Addington on Friday week.
McGrath also trains another smart three-year-old in Star Commander, who was much too good in a suitable grade race at Addington on October 12, but has been unplaced in two Sires Stakes Heats at Addington this month.
