Leaderboard the Leader Again

Cool, calm, and collected, Troy Harris continued the family magic with another faultless winning ride on international recruit Leaderboard (5 g Street Cry - Flower Fairy, by Dynaformer) in the $30,000 Wuhan Jockey Club Rating 72 2000 metres on 13 November at Riccarton.

In similar fashion to the ride which providing them victory on 26 October at Riccarton, Harris and Leaderboard had the measure in tote support ($2.40 & $1.30) and executed things to a nicety on the racetrack.

In doing so, Harris kept intact an enviable record aboard Fortuna owned gallopers: being unbeaten twice on Leaderboard, and going back a bit, winning two from two, including the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m), on Tell A Tale (Tale Of The Cat), trained by Mark Walker. 

“He's going to be a nice stayer and races like the Auckland Cup, I think he could be right in them,” Harris said. “The imports are not really big turn-of-foot horses, but slowly get into their work and then I struggled to pull him up. So, the further he goes the better he's going to be.”

Happy to settle back on the inner, Harris tracked a line of horses off the rail at the 600m, quickened to a challenging position at the 400m and while the margin was not great the manner was convincing.

“It was a good win,” said trainer Jamie Richards, who had father Paul (Richards) overseeing proceedings on course. “He relaxed well, built momentum once into the clear and it was a lovely ride from Troy. I don't think he's a horse that's ever going to win by five or six lengths, but he does what he has to and pretty keen once he gets to the front to prick his ears and have a look around.

“He's got the making of a really nice staying horse. He's very athletic, has a good attitude and aims to please. He'll come home and a have a little break now and I think he's got plenty of upside for races after Christmas. 

Presented with Dead5 footing on the middle day of the New Zealand Cup Carnival, Leaderboard ran the 2000 metres in a sedentary 2:06.8, before quickening home in 34.3.

Owned by the Fortuna Leaderboard Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), he was purchased last October at a Tattersalls sale in the U.K., soon after winning over 2400 metres in Ireland, and, by the sire of Winx, he looks an ideal staying prospect to work through the grades.

“He's a serious racehorse and every time Jamie talks about him, his eyes light up and he really likes this horse,” Galvin said. “So, we think he's an up-and-comer, for sure.”

Leaderboard holds nominations for the SkyCity City of Auckland Cup (Gr. 3, 2400m) and Dunstan Feeds Stayers Championship (Special Conditions, 2400m) on 1 January at Ellerslie, and the Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (Gr. 1, 3200m) on 7 March at Ellerslie.

It was the second day in a row Richards had gone one for one at the races, following Ginger Too (Iffraaj) winning under Opie Bosson on Tuesday at Te Aroha, and he leads the premiership with 34 wins.

Leaderboard was strapped by Rachael Kramer.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

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