The Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) has often been the one that got away for Shaune Ritchie, but Tajana’s superb first-up performance at Ruakaka on Saturday has the Cambridge trainer dreaming of a breakthrough in the Riccarton classic.
A last-to-first triumph in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) was Tajana’s first step along the road to the 1000 Guineas – a race Ritchie has run second in with Keep The Peace in 2009, Bella Gioia in 2016 and Jennifer Eccles in 2019.
“It’s been frustrating coming second in the 1000 Guineas three times,” said Ritchie, who trains in partnership with Colm Murray. “I’m hoping we can get back to Christchurch and go one better this year.”
Tajana thrust herself into Guineas contention with a two-year-old season that featured a maiden win at Matamata and placings in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m).
Everything Ritchie and Murray are doing with Tajana this spring is with the goal of having The Oaks Stud’s homebred filly at her peak when she steps out at Riccarton on November 8.
Saturday’s $100,000 Northland Breeders’ Stakes was her first raceday appearance in 140 days, and she was sent out as an $11.60 chance over a distance that might have been expected to be short of her best. But Tajana’s class shone through in a sparkling come-from-behind performance.
Tajana was ridden by Wiremu Pinn and settled at the tail of the field as Eliza James, Miss Moet All and Cashla Bay filled the first three places up until the home turn. Tajana was still a clear last coming into the straight, with Pinn opting to save ground by staying close to the fence.
After passing the 300m mark, the front-runner Eliza James veered right across the track and towards the outside fence. That appeared to leave Yokozuna, Nocturne and the favourite Geneva to fight out a three-way battle to the finish, but Tajana and Pinn had other ideas.
Tajana stormed home and burst through one off the rail in the last 50m. She got up to win by three-quarters of a length from Yokuzuna and Nocturne.
“I thought she was the class horse in the race today,” Pinn said. “She proved herself against top two-year-olds like Return To Conquer and La Dorada last season.
“The only issue was that I thought the 1200m would be a bit too short for her, but she proved me wrong and she’s a very nice filly.
“I was a bit worried for most of the race. She jumped nicely enough, but then I kept at her to pick up the bridle and show a bit of interest and I wasn’t getting much response. I didn’t think she was going well enough, so I decided to just stick to the inside around the corner.
“Once she balanced up and got on the right leg, she really accelerated. It was a very good win and she’s only going to improve with the run.
“There’s a lot of good three-year-olds around this season, which is good to see. With the money that’s come into the industry from Entain, the good horses are staying in the country and we’re getting to ride them.”
Tajana is by Darci Brahma out of the five-race-winning Sakhee’s Secret mare Sleek Secret. From a five-start career, the promising filly has now had two wins, two placings and $145,575 in stakes.
Tajana completed a double for the day for Ritchie and Murray, who also won the Hello Youmzain-Champion NZ First Season Sire (1400m) with fellow first-up runner Tuxedo.
“That was a fantastic ride by Wiremu,” Ritchie said. “They haven’t been using the fence. When it’s as good as that, why go wide? And riding her cold was obviously the way to go.
“What a classy filly. I really wasn’t expecting a performance quite like that. She can only get better as she gets out over further, that’s for sure.
“The 1000 Guineas is the goal we’re concentrating on. We’ll give her a good space from this run into the next one. I think the Sunline Vase is now a 1400m three-year-old fillies’ race at Ellerslie in five weeks, and then there’s the Soliloquy (Gr.2, 1400m) after that. It’s notable that almost every 1000 Guineas winner in the last 10 years has run in that race. We’ll follow that path.”
The TAB now rates Tajana a $7 chance for the 1000 Guineas, sharing favouritism with Lucy In The Sky. The other prominent fillies in the market are Lodi Dodi ($9), Avantaggia ($12), To Cap It All ($12), Cream Tart ($14), In Haste ($14), Intention ($14), Little Black Dress ($14) and Lubeck ($14).
By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
