No Regrets in Waiting for Invitation

 

Ray Thomas of racenet.com.au reports:

 

Entriviere has the ability to reel off stunning sectionals but trainer Jamie Richards has no regrets about not pushing the case for his star mare to run in The Everest last week.

Instead, Richards stayed the course with the intent of having Entriviere at her peak for the $2m The Invitation (1400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

“Our focus has always been on The Invitation,'' Richards said.

“I am very happy to keep her for races against her own sex and up to 1400m.

“She wasn't going to be competitive against horses like Nature Strip and Masked Crusader in The Everest but against her own sex, hopefully she runs well on Saturday.''

The talented Entriviere has been a dominant favourite for The Invitation all week and firmed into $2.90 late on Thursday.

The talented New Zealand mare has yet to miss a place in nine starts, winning six including her impressive first-up effort in the Sheraco Stakes at Kembla Grange last month.

But it was Entriviere's last start third placing - the only time she has been out of the top two finishers in her career - which was arguably the best demonstration of her ability.

Entriviere had to be ridden conservatively early from an outside barrier in the Golden Pendant then was forced to make a wide run from the turn, making her finishing run on the worst part of the Rosehill track day when leaders were clearly advantaged.

 

Probabeel needs a dry track to show her best in the Cox Plate. 

 

Despite the obvious track bias, Entriviere still ran home her final 600m sectional in 32.5secs which was the fastest closing splits for the entire meeting.

“She got into a tricky spot from a bad gate in the Golden Pendant,'' Richards said.

“They weren't making ground all day which made it very difficult for her so her run was very good under the circumstances.''

Entriviere has had a month between runs and a soft trial to keep her fresh for The Invitation.

Richards, New Zealand's leading trainer, said the Racing NSW announcement of The Invitation earlier this spring prompted him to change plans slightly for Entriviere with Saturday's race in mind.

“We were always planning to take Entriviere to Sydney this spring and maybe look at the Epsom Handicap,'' Richards said.

“But when this race came out, we thought it was ideal for this mare so we concentrated on having her right for the 1400m at Randwick.''

With the international borders still closed, Richards will be on the other side of the Tasman Sea when Entriviere contests The Invitation and stablemate Probabeel lines up in the $5m Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley.

Probabeel has finished unplaced in both her starts at The Valley in the Cox Plate last year and then the All-Star Mile during autumn but Richards pointed out it was wet tracks rather than any concerns about his mare's ability to handle the tight, turning course that contributed to her defeats.

But Probabeel goes into the Cox Plate as a last start Group 1 winner of The Might And Power (formerly Caulfield Stakes) but is rated only a $14 chance for the big race.

“Probabeel is a terrific mare, very tough and sound,'' Richards said.

“She is in good form but she is going to have to go to a career-best to be winning a Cox Plate.

“I like the fact she has had that extra run under her belt this spring, that 2000m run at Caulfield has her rock-hard fit.

“Hopefully we are running on a dry track and we will see how we can't have the mare going any better.''

Back