Belardo Boy and Joe Doyle race clear of their rivals in the Opunake CupRival connections were left to rethink how they might topple reigning Winter Cup title-holder Belardo Boy at Riccarton on Saturday week when the Awapuni gelding outclassed his rivals in Tuesday’s rescheduled Listed Opunake Cup at Hawera.
Horses originally entered for New Plymouth last Saturday had to have their compasses reset when the Pukekura Park track was deemed by officials to be too water-logged on race morning. Further complicating the situation was that a major event was scheduled over subsequent days at the Taranaki Racing venue and the meeting was relocated down the road to the Opunake Cup’s original home, Hawera.
That mattered little to the Lisa Latta-trained Belardo Boy, who made light of his 59 kilogram topweight to outclasss his rivals, headed two lengths away by the second favourite Spencer carrying six kilos less than the winner. Fellow Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup aspirants Bradman and Justaskme finished fourth and sixth, beaten upwards of five lengths.
The TAB reacted by halving Belardo Boy’s fixed odds quote for the Winter Cup to $4, making him the clear favourite from Aljay, Jay Bee Gee and Spencer on $7. Sunday’s impressive Oamaru Cup winner Master Marko, for whom a late entry was made on Tuesday, was next on $10 along with Bradman, easing out two points, with Justaskme also going out two points to $12.
Belardo Boy was already going to be topweight for the Winter Cup on his pre-Opunake Cup rating of 99, and in that respect his subsequent win was front and centre of his trainer’s mind ahead of the trip south.
“I suppose he deserved to be topweight, but with that being his first start for nearly two months since winning at Wanganui I thought he might be vulnerable,” Latta told RaceForm on Tuesday evening. “Providing he’s pulled up alright – and I don’t see why he wouldn’t have – he’ll definitely be going to Christchurch.
“My main query is how many points this win will cost him; hopefully the handicapper won’t be too tough on him.”
Belardo Boy won last year’s Winter Cup carrying 53 kilos and has since added the Gr. 3 Hunterville Vet Club Metric Mile at Awapuni in late September and the Listed AGC Training Stakes at weight-for-age on June 1.
His pet distance is obviously 1600m and Latta anticipates that the step up from Tuesday’s 1400m at Riccarton will be ideal. In each of four feature wins he has been ridden by Joe Doyle, who has found form quickly since returning from a holiday back in Ireland.
“He’s a reasonably straightforward horse, but he can pull and the key is getting him to settle,” added Latta. “That’s what we’ve seen him do very effectively, so it would be good if things unfold like that again.”
Belardo Boy’s 10th career win took Latta’s season tally to 63, her best result in recent years and placing her third equal with Matamata partners Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott on the trainers’ premiership.
*Belardo Boy was re-rated four points for his Opunake Cup win, placing him on 103, five points ahead of the next horse in the Winter Cup entries. Weights for the Riccarton first day feature are scheduled to be released this Thursday.
