Racehorse TALK

Racing: Australian stable buys favoured runner

4:00AM Wednesday Feb 25, 2009
By Mike Dillon

Easy Ryder, one of the favourites for Saturday's $2.2 million Telecom New Zealand Derby, was yesterday sold to David Hayes' Australian stable for huge money.

The last-start winner of the Waikato Guineas, will run in the Derby under his new ownership and Australian jockey Steven Arnold will be flown in to replace Matt Cameron for the classic.

Owner Jenny Grieve has retained a 25 per cent interest in Easy Ryder.

Grieve was at Ellerslie yesterday morning to watch Easy Ryder gallop at the Breakfast With The Stars with Matt Cameron in the saddle.

"The offer to buy him has been on the table for three weeks since the Guineas, but I didn't do anything about it because I'm in love with the horse - then I woke up," said Grieve.

"I couldn't afford to turn the offer down. I have the mother and a King's Chapel out of the mare."

Co-trainer Roger James said he was extremely disappointed to lose Easy Ryder.

"I think he's potentially a Melbourne Cup-type horse and he's a year away from his best yet.

"I can understand an owner's desire to sell for big money and I'm not here to stand in the way of that."

It was a very fit looking Easy Ryder that showed up at Ellerslie.

He looked none the worse for missing the Championship Stakes lead-up race when he galloped with stablemate Katie's Dan.

Both finished off strongly, running the last 600m without being tested in 36.33 secs.

Easy Ryder looked as though the gallop and the trip from Cambridge and back would have him at perfect pitch for Saturday's classic.

"The hock issue he had on the eve of the Championship Stakes was minor," said Roger James.

"I was very pleased with this morning's work."

On a radio interview this morning the NZ correspondent reported that the horse was originally purchased for $500.00

Not a bad return on the investment.

THE SPANIARD will be winning 

I recall a handy Sydney stayer back in the 70's that went by the name of Sufficient

THE SPANIARD 19's 

Down the Road for mine 

tri - 1,3,4,5/1,3,4,5,9,18/1,3,4,5,9,18

Ouch 

How funny though, it's taken SKY a full 11 minutes after the race was run to show a replay of the NZ Derby.

I'm the first to put my hand up and say normally local content should take precedence over O/S racing but we were talking about a Group 1 race against nuffies racing at Pakenham, Armidale and Pinjarra 

Circumstances Gin, but I know what you're saying.

Congrats to Bede Murray knocking off the NZ Derby with Coniston Bluebird ridden by Scott Seamer, who pulled up distressed

trained by n.c.begg

I think it was a grey Judgey?

spot on

I too saw "Sufficent" in the field and thought of the one from the 70s, a little more than "handy"

She won the Gimcrack, the  VATC One Thousand 1000 Guineas, and the AJC Oaks.

Finished 2nd to Hartshill in the 1974 Golden Slipper