Peachy Keen caused a boilover when taking out Saturday’s Ashburton Cup (1600m) at odds of 103-1, and now stakes targets await the grey gelding.
The six-year-old son of Reliable Man had failed to fire since winning the Cromwell Cup (2030m) last November, finishing unplaced in his subsequent six outings, including tailing the field home when first-up at Riccarton last month.
However, trainers Len and Lacy Stewart had been pleased with his work at home, having received positive reports from his track riders, and they were hopeful he could turn his form around in the Ashburton Cup.
Their hopes were realised when, under Yogesh Atchamah, he scooted up along the rail to score a long neck victory over Group Three performer Sir Albert.
“Last campaign he didn’t want to be there and this campaign he has come back in and been full of himself, so I put a line through that first-up run and luckily he showed a lot of improvement the other day,” Lacy Stewart said.
“He had been working really well and in his last gallop the jockey came back and said he feels like an open class sprinter.
“He was aided by a beautiful ride and he probably didn’t like the track first-up either, it was wet and an off track, whereas it was a beautiful track at Ashburton.”
Stewart was buoyed by the result and said Peachy Keen will now likely head to the Listed Spring Classic (2000m) at Riccarton on Saturday week, a race won by Sir Albert last year.
“I think he will probably go for the 2000m race at Riccarton, the Spring Classic,” Stewart said. “He would have wanted to have run in the first three (in the Ashburton Cup) to bother looking at that. The second horse (Sir Albert) is a pretty decent horse, and I thought it might run him down, but he kicked.
“He had a very happy bunch of owners.”
The Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton next month could also be on the cards.
“He still holds a nomination for the New Zealand Cup,” Stewart said. “I am not sure if he will get that distance, but he has come back really strong this time.”
Meanwhile, the stable have five horses nominated for Gore’s meeting on Friday, and Stewart is particularly upbeat about the chances of Sympathique and Miss Harley Quinn.
“Gore is one of my favourite tracks, I was born in Gore,” Stewart said.
“Sympathique loves Gore and Miss Harley Quinn is very well at the moment. Neither of them will mind if it rains a bit because I see they are forecast for a bit of rain.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
