Proven Group race performers Military Move and Chop Chop will lead off Cambridge trainer Shaune Ritchie’s quest for Queensland carnival riches this weekend.
Ritchie will load four gallopers onto a Brisbane-bound plane on Thursday, with former New Zealand Derby winner Military Move set to tackle Saturday’s A$358,000 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast.
Emerging filly Chop Chop, a luckless fourth in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham last month, will contest the Listed A$125,000 Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) on the undercard.
Ritchie’s other two travellers are Queensland Derby hopeful Glorious Lad and an as yet unnamed maiden galloper.
Military Move and Chop Chop galloped between races at Te Aroha last Wednesday, pleasing Ritchie with their condition ahead of their trip.
“They both went really well and we’re happy with them,” Ritchie said.
Military Move is a seasoned traveller, having raced successfully for two years in Hong Kong before returning to Ritchie’s care last season.
The Volksraad seven-year-old has won twice since, one of them in the Group 3 Manawatu Cup, and he was a last-start runner-up in the Group 2 Awapuni Gold Cup to clinch the trip to Brisbane.
“If he can get prize money over there, we’ll be delighted,” Ritchie said.
“We haven’t really worked out a programme for him beyond Saturday. We’ll assess his run this weekend and see where he measures up and then formulate a programme from there.”
Queensland jockey Ric McMahon, who rode Chop Chop in the Oaks, will ride both Ritchie-trained gallopers this weekend.
Chop Chop is set to progress from the Bracelet to the Group 3 Doomben Roses (2000m) on May 17 and the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm on May 31, though no jockey booking has been made for either of those races yet.
“As she goes through the series of races, she’ll get better too. The main aim is the Oaks,” Ritchie said.
“She doesn’t need to improve much on her New Zealand form to be competitive. I’m looking forward to her racing over there.”
Last-start New Zealand Derby third placegetter Glorious Lad won’t be far from kicking off his campaign which will be aimed at having him peaking for the Group 1 A$500,000 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 7.
– NZ Racing Desk
