Richard of Yorke Rules

A brilliant ride by Ryan Elliot saw Richard of Yorke (7 g Oasis Dream - Cascata, by Montjeu) win the $11,000 Cavallo Farm & Chris Rutten Rating 72 2200 metres on 16 April at Otaki.

Barring a slipped saddle last week at Matamata, Richard of Yorke had run faster closing sectionals than the winner at his two prior starts this time in and made up for the mishap with a polished effort. 

Much of the credit could be bestowed on Elliot, who positioned the horse perfectly, three back on the inner, tracked up off the rail turning for home and produced the horse with a well timed finish. 

Inside the final 200m, commentator Tony Lee said: “Porcelain Princess, Richard of Yorke is starting to round it up on the inside, now, and Richard of Yorke a good performance gets the win. Gee, he got there well in the finish.

“He was really strong in the finish. It looked as though Porcelain Princess, when she got to the lead it was all over rover, but he kept on chugging on the inside and dug in for the scrap.”

A winner previously on slow and heavy going, Richard of Yorke coped admirably with the Heavy10 conditions, running the 2200 metres in 2.22.8.

Owned by the Te Akau Plantagenet Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), he was a winner at Royal Ascot before being sold to Australia. Following a further two wins over 2400 metres and $200,000 in prize money, he was on sold for $42,000 on Gavelhouse. 

“Karyn syndicated the horse within an hour of being posted on our website and he's a good example of how important Gavelhouse is for the industry,” said Te Akau principal David Ellis. “It's a great innovation by New Zealand Bloodstock and their regular sales allow horses like this to be offered when they're ready for sale.”

Denied room on a couple of occasions during a spring campaign at Riccarton, and spelled after contesting the New Zealand Cup (Gr. 3, 3200m) in November, Richard of Yorke was recording his fifth win.

By Oasis Dream (Green Desert), the sire of over 170 stakes' winners, his dam sire Montjeu was one of the highest quality horses in the world, winning the Irish Derby, French Derby, and Arc de Triomphe, before experiencing great success when standing at stud in New Zealand.

Building form nicely, the win provided trainer Jamie Richards with his 94^ththis season.

“His first two runs at Pukekohe and Awapuni were good and it all went a bit pear-shaped at Matamata, which was unfortunate but we had to turn the page on that,” Richards said.

“We'd been happy with his work, mixing up his training with some jumping and I think most importantly today on a suitably wet track he was given a lovely ride by Ryan Elliot.

“He's in work at the right time of year, with some give in the ground, and hopefully that won't be his last win during this campaign.”

Richard of Yorke was strapped by Alexis White.

“Alexis has done a great job with the horse and travelled down with him,” Richards said. “She looks after him on a daily basis and a good effort by the team to get him to the races in the right order.”

Footnote: Race sponsor Chris Rutten, who has operated Cavallo Farm (pre-training and agistment) for over 20 years, experienced terrific success with Te Akau Racing this season. Yourdeel (Dundeel), who Rutten shares in ownership with John Norwood and Rod Preston, had a stellar two-year-old season, winning both Group Ones: Sistema Stakes and Sires' Produce Stakes. He won four of six starts, adding a second and third (in the Karaka Million), and $375,600 in prize money. 

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

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