Risque Heads a Huge Weekend

The Informant further reports:

Risque rose to the occasion and became a stakes' winner in the Listed Armadillo Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday, capping a dream day for Te Akau trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards and rider Michael McNab.

It was the combination's fourth win on the Riccarton programme, having earlier been successful with Sassy ‘N' Smart, Opulent and Vive La Difference. The Te Akau team had a fifth win for the day when Xtravagant won the Guineas' Trial at Trentham.

“It's been a great day,” Autridge said. “Things don't always turn out how you plan them but everything fell into place today.”

For Risque, this was black-type confirmation of the promise the Darci Brahma filly has shown throughout this campaign. She was an amazing 11-length winner at Ashburton in September, then earlier this month was a fast-finishing second behind stablemate Special Memories over 1400 metres. The step up to 1600 metres was key as she turned the tables today.

“Risque is a very promising filly,” Autridge said. “I wanted to see what she can do over 1600 metres and on top of the ground, and we saw it today. That was really good.”

McNab settled Risque into a perfect midfield position early in the 1600-metre event, sitting in sixth place as a muddling pace was set up front by Lucky Edie and Chic. When the time came to make her move, Risque took a few strides to get warmed up but began to loom on the outside. As her strides began to lengthen and her momentum grew, she drew alongside the leaders and thrust her head in front.

Son Of Maher and Te Akau stablemate Special Memories tried to go with her within the last 150 metres, but Risque saw the distance out strongly and comfortably held them out to win by a length and a quarter.

Risque has now had four starts for two wins and two placings, and she is now rated a $14 chance for next month's Gr. 1 New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas.

The first of Te Akau's winners was the two-year-old Smart ‘N' Sassy, who became the first runner anywhere in the world for her young sire Smart Missile and his first winner. The filly was green down the straight but showed plenty of class in scoring a comfortable win over last-start winner What Choux Want.

Opulent scored her third win in a row with an emphatic display in race four, while Vive La Difference is on track for a crack at the Gr. 2 Coupland's Bakeries Mile after her win in the sixth race on the card.

It was a special day too for McNab, who took to Twitter to express his gratitude for the opportunities at Riccarton today.

"Thank you for the opportunity to ride your stable's lovely horses," he said.