10 October 2024 | Ashleigh Paikos
With time not on his side, unfortunately Ragazzo Mach will miss out on this year’s WA Pacing Cup, but Henley Brook trainer Mike Reed is confident they will be heading back to trials in just a fortnights time after quite some time away from the track.
Although he trialled back on May 26 when finishing third in an open mobile trial at Byford behind Montana D J NZ and Winegum NZ, a niggling issue saw him head back to the paddock for a quick break, before recommencing his campaign this time in.
The WA Pacing Cup is set for Friday, November 8 and although the original aim was the Gr1 Feature, Reed is realistic in his thoughts that the race is coming around quicker than he can get him fit enough for.
“I still believe he’s a really, really good horse.
“On Saturday (Trackwork) he ducked home good, and came home in a tick under 57, but he’s still very big in condition, I’m just struggling to get the weight off of him, he looks at feed and puts the weight on,
“But it is coming off him, but I wanted to trial him and give him a couple of starts.
“But he won’t be ready for the Pacing Cup, no way.”
Illness was a contributing factor to Water Lou’s past two race starts, and Reed confirmed she has definitely head to the paddock for the next four to five weeks and will miss the WA Derby on Friday, November 1.
“She went on Saturday, 9 O’clock, her and Ruby Lou together, usually she won’t go away because she won’t settle, but with her mate in the paddock with her, she’s good as gold they said.”
Disappointed to be missing the remainder of the season, Reed is comfortable with the decision to spell her, confirming she was ready for the break.
“I think she had come to the end of her tether; she had a little hiccup after the start two starts back, she got a little bug, it was just pushing **** up hill, really.
“Once they’ve had enough, they’ve had enough.”
Reed did report that he has a new and exciting addition to the stable, with impressively bred New Zealand filly Fabulous Dream just weeks away from her WA debut.
At just two-years-old, she’s yet to race, but Reed is confident he’s got something special in his hands with the filly by star sire, Bettors Delight, with some very impressive siblings in her bloodlines.
A full sister to Amazing Dream NZ who was a winner of 24 from just 48 starts in New Zealand and Australia, including 10 group 1 victories, before she made her way to Linda Toscano in the USA, a winner on debut back in 2022, who continued her very impressive form over in America.
Amazing Dream NZ left Australia after finishing third in the 2022 Hunter Cup, leaving our shores as the second richest-stake-earning mare in Australasian history, with an impressive $1,967,140 earned in stakes for her connections.
Fabulous Dream NZ is also a full sister to Lets Chase the Dream NZ, a winner of 24 from 113 and over $604,000 in stakes, racing extensively in WA throughout 2016 to 2018, including a second placing in the 2016 WA Derby behind WA sensation Chicago Bull NZ.
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