Republican Party on a break

Last year’s winner Republican Party (Bettor’s Delight) will be missing from the line-up for the New Zealand Messenger on Friday evening as the entire is on a six week break.

He’s been racing since September and in sixteen starts has won six, including the G1 Auckland and Invercargill Cups, the Group Two Canterbury Classic, the Ashburton Flying Stakes and the G3 Summer Cup FFA with stakes takings of more than $434,000.

He also had a two-start campaign in Australian in February, finishing second to Leap To Fame in the G1 Kilmore Cup and third behind Swayzee and Leap To Fame in the G1 AG Hunter Cup.

“He did have a bit of a respiratory issue when we post-race scoped him. I think he’s been a wee bit down. He’s been really tight for just under six months. He’s been at the Cup meeting, Auckland, Melbourne and down south. It’s very hard to keep them that tight at that level, so he was just crying out to let the spring off,” said Cran Dalgety who trains Republican Party with his wife Chrissie. 

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink