Walsh hoping for ace day at Riccarton

Riccarton trainer David Walsh couldn’t believe his luck when he saw the fields for his home meeting on Saturday, with his trio of runners all drawing the ace marble in their respective events.

“We normally get bad draws all the time, we continually draw outside, so it is amazing that all three runners have drawn barrier one,” Walsh said. “I just hope it is a good place to be.”

Six-year-old gelding Toa Haka was in stellar form for Walsh last season, stringing together a series of placings and victories, and the Canterbury horseman is hoping his charge can return to that form first-up in the Stallion Tender Now Open Rating 75 (1200m).

“He ran really well last season,” Walsh said. “He is a wee bit hairy, and he has got a bit of condition on, so whatever he does he will improve with the run.

“The track (Soft7) should be ideal for him, he likes a bit of sting out of the ground, and he normally races pretty handy.

“I do think he will go a cheeky race, especially with three kilos off his back (courtesy of apprentice jockey Jack Taplin’s claim), it makes a big difference.”

Stakes targets could be in the offing for the son of Iffraaj if he performs up to expectations this spring.

“If he can put a couple together, we might put him in the TAB Mile (Gr.3, 1600m),” Walsh said. “We didn’t nominate him but if he can win a couple of races we might enter him late.

“He has won over 1200 and 1400m, but he indicates that he could go over a bit further. I don’t see any reason why he couldn’t go 1600m.”

Stablemate Lochmara Bay will be seeking to break through for her maiden victory in the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap Maiden (1400m) and will have the services of in-form jockey Opie Bosson aboard.

“I have got Opie Bosson on, they tell me he is magic,” Walsh quipped. “When I nominated, there were only four other horses in the race and I thought this was mental for a $25,000 race. Te Akau didn’t have a runner, so I ran Micky Coleman, Opie’s manager, and was able to get him.

“She is a nice, little mare and she has had two seconds in her last three starts, so hopefully she will get one soon.”

Walsh is also upbeat about the chances of Graeme John in the Elvis An American Trilogy 5 October CHCH Rating 65 (1000m).

The Per Incanto seven-year-old gelding joined Walsh’s care last month and has finished runner-up in all three of his starts on Riccarton’s synthetic track for the local horseman.

Walsh has elected to drop Graeme John back to 1000m on the grass this weekend where he is hoping his charge finds better luck.

“He hasn’t had a lot of luck, especially his last start where he got held up,” Walsh said. “Hopefully he will be able to relax properly. They might go a bit quick for him now that it has dried out a bit, but at least he shouldn’t be racing too keenly.

“We don’t get that many 1000m races, so I thought it was a good opportunity to see how he goes.

“He has had three starts for three seconds and he is running well.”

Meanwhile, Walsh will be without the services of his smart filly Zelia this spring, with the daughter of Fierce Impact nursing a foot injury.

“She has got a foot injury, so we are marking time with her. We have just got to see how things progress in the next few weeks,” Walsh said.

Zelia was a standout for Walsh in his comeback season to training last term, winning two and runner-up in two of her five juvenile starts, including a last-start second placing in the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m).

“She is a very fast filly,” Walsh said. “I think she was the best two-year-old down here, but I have probably got rose-coloured glasses on.

“She has shown a lot of talent and it’s a little bit frustrating not to get going now when all the good races start, but there are good races all the time, so if she doesn’t race until after Christmas then so be it.

“She will never lose the ability, we have just got to make sure she is properly sound.”