Wet Track An Advantage For Terravista In Show County Quality

Terravista is set to return to the races in the 2014 Show County Quality at Royal Randwick on Saturday and trainer Joseph Pride is confident that the Captain Rio gelding will have no problems handling the expected heavy track.

Terravista will defend his undefeated first-up record in the Show County Quality at Royal Randwick this weekend.

Terravista will defend his undefeated first-up record in the Show County Quality at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart

Terravista finished 11th in his only previous start on a wet track in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 29, but he was found to be suffering from heat stress after the race and Pride told Sky Racing HQ that he did not put that failure down to the wet surface.

“He is in really good order and he is a super first-up horse,” Pride said.

“He is bred to get through the wet really well.

“He raced on the slow in the Ryder when he had had enough, so I would forgive him for that.

“His first start was on a dead five, but they actually downgraded the track to a slow after the race and he absolutely bolted in.

“He looked really good, I was really pleased with his trial as was his jockey.”

Terravista has put down together an impressive racing record in his nine starts to date and he will be defending an undefeated first-up record in the Show County Quality this weekend.

The half-brother to Tiger Tees made his racing debut with a dominant four lengths win at Warwick Farm in April last year, but he was sent to the spelling paddock after finishing behind Boban in the Gallipoli Handicap (1300m) at the same venue on April 25.

Terravista returned to the races with three straight wins at Randwick and was far from disgraced when he finished second behind White Sage in his black type racing debut in the Listed Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on November 30.

Pride set Terravista for the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and he looked on track for the Group 1 event after winning the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 22 and the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Warwick Farm on March 8, but he was sent to the spelling paddock following his George Ryder Stakes failure.

Terravista will carry 56 kilograms in the Show County Quality on Saturday and will be partnered by leading Sydney hoop Hugh Bowman for just the second time in his racing career.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.