Spring Stakes winner Riziz will bypass the Melbourne Spring Carnival and have one more run in Adelaide before heading to the spelling paddock.
Riziz clears out to record a comfortable win in the Spring Stakes at Morphettville. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
The Ken Sweeney trained Riziz made it an one act affair when he cleared out to record a three lengths win over Light It Up in the Group 3 $115,000 David R Coles AM Spring Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville last Saturday.
But the Adelaide trainer will resist the temptation to return to Melbourne to take on the glamour sprinters over the Carnival and will run the six year old gelding in the Listed $80,000 Penny Edition Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville Parks in a fortnight.
Sweeney took Riziz across to Melbourne at the start of July and collected a cheque when third to the Robbie Laing trained Lord Of The Sky in the Group 3 $135,000 Polytrack Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
But back on his home track Clare Lindop was able to control the speed in the middle stages and the $2.30 favourite was able to hold the rest of the field at bay, including Group 1 winner Happy Trials.
“I had a concern about the lack of speed in the race, as he can sometimes get a little fired up,’’ Lindop told The Advertiser.
“But he relaxed well and when he kicked away from them I was always confident.’’
Happy Trails was having his first start back since running second to Shamus Award in last year’s Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley in October and trainer Paul Beshara was pleased with the way the seven year old hit the line.
“I’m not unhappy,’’ Beshara said.
“It was just a sprint home. He was never going to win giving the leader a start like he did.’’
“He was strong on the line and he’ll be much better for the outing.’’
Happy Trails will now head to Melbourne with the Cox Plate firmly on the agenda again and will continue his Spring Carnival program in the Group 1 $400,000 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 30.
Lindop has only been back in the saddle for a couple of weeks after being on the sidelines recovering from multiples injuries she received in a fall at Morphettville in March and Saturday’s Spring Stakes was her first feature race win since resuming.
Saturday’s win was Riziz’s tenth from twenty-six starts and took his prizemoney earnings to $628,025.
