Let it Ride in 1-49.4

PATIENCE paid off for one of Australasia's most accomplished reinsmen at Menangle today when four-year-old gelding Let It Ride staked his claim as one of the best four-year-olds in the country.

Anthony Butt decided to take no part in a desperate early battle for the lead between San Domino, Pretty Hot and the well-backed Atomic Red in the opening stanza of the NSW Breeders Challenge final for four-year-old entires and geldings.

In one of the quickest opening halves ever recorded at Menangle (53.2s) consisting of splits of 26.5 and 26.7, there was literally no quarter asked for or given as Atomic Red eventually worked his way to the front.

Sadly for the Turnbull stable that left him a sitting shot for something coming from back in the field and that happened to be Let It Ride, who came with a swooping run to score running away in a slashing 1:49.4 with a closing split of 27.7s.

That was almost a second faster than Cruz Bromac had gone earlier in the afternoon in winning the Len Smith Mile.

If the Butt brothers, trainer Tim and reinsman Anthony were disappointed with the run of My Field Marshal in finishing second in the Len Smith, that was soon forgotten as Let It Ride thrust his name up alongside Jilliby Kungfu as one of the best four-year-olds in this part of the world.

Let It Ride scored by six and three-quarter metres from Conviction with Joes Star Of Mia third and Jilliby Bandit close behind them in fourth position.

"You never get tired of winning Group One races like this," said Tim Butt, who has one of the best records in big races in this part of the world.

"Every big race brings a different set of challenges, usually a different set of owners and every horse is different.

"This bloke is pretty talented and to win this Group One was a great achievement for this horse. He could not have gone any better today."

 

Mandy Madern

 

 

7	3:59pm	ALWAYS B MIKI NSW BREEDERS CHALLENGE FOUR-YEAR-OLD ENTIRES & GELDINGS FINAL (GROUP 1)	1609M
		$100,000 4YO Entires and Geldings. PBD/M/PBD/C. Mobile	Results

Pl	Horse	Prize- money		Row & Br	TAB #	Trainer	Driver (C = Concession)	Mgn (m)	Starting odds	Stewards' Comments
1	LET IT RIDE NZ			Fr10	12	Tim Butt	Anthony Butt		$ 2.60 fav	PRBT RAS SWAB
	BAY GELDING 4 by ROCK N ROLL HEAVEN USA out of LOVE A GAMBLE (NZ) (BETTORS DELIGHT USA)  Owner(s): A M Batten, S F Kaplan, V G Duncum, B Masson, Red & Blue Syndicate, G A Ayers  Breeder(s): N F Nixon, M Carson
2	CONVICTION			Fr7	9	Steve Turnbull	Mitch Turnbull	6.70	$ 21.30	SWAB
3	JOES STAR OF MIA			Fr4	6	Steve Turnbull	Steve Turnbull	7.90	$ 16.20	SWAB
4	JILLIBY BANDIT			Fr8	10	Margaret Lee	Glen Craven	11.10	$ 6.70	PRBT GS 3WE
5	ATOMIC RED			Fr9	11	Steve Turnbull	Amanda Turnbull	11.90	$ 3.10	PRBT GS 4WE 3WM WF L
6	HIDDEN COURAGE			Fr6	8	Steve Turnbull	Nathan Turnbull	16.50	$ 85.20	PRBT RAS
7	PRETTY HOT			Fr2	2	Bernie Hewitt	Bernie Hewitt	24.40	$ 20.80	GS L SLM
8	SAN DOMINO			Fr5	7	Kari Males	Rodney Petroff	32.70	$ 8.70	PRBT GS WF L UTHL QUER VXAR NAR
9	SECLUDED BEACH			Fr1	1	John Tapp	Jim Douglass	33.80	$ 61.30	PRBT SO
10	PAY ME SAM			Fr3	3	Paul Fitzpatrick	Gavin Fitzpatrick	38.30	$ 29.80

Scratchings
ASTRIDE	4
NIKALONG HENRY	5

Track Rating: GOOD		Gross Time: 1:49:4	Mile Rate: 1:49:4
First Quarter: 26.5	Second Quarter: 26.7	Third Quarter: 28.5	Fourth Quarter: 27.7
Margins: 6.7m x 1.1m