Te Akau Ashburton Attack

Date: 18 Oct 2013

Te Akau Ashburton Attack

The Informant's Mac Henry reports:

Costa Viva (pictured) and Spellbinder will take different paths when Jason Bridgman's assault on the spring three year old classics steps up another gear at Ashburton tomorrow (Saturday).

The Matamata trainer has provided three of the 10 acceptors for the Listed Ray Coupland Stakes and while the Gold Trail Stakes runner-up Costa Viva is among them, the unbeaten Soliloquy Stakes winner Spellbinder is not.

“They are the strongest of my three year olds at this stage and I don't want to run them together so Spellbinder will stay here for the Sarten,” Bridgman said.

After winning on debut at Whangarei in August, Costa Viva went straight to the Gold Trail where she finished only three-quarters of a length from Bounding after going back at the start and covering ground on the turn, before unwinding purposefully in the straight.

“It was a massive jump up and a very good run, right up with expectations, we were delighted,” Bridgman said. “It was her first time under pressure and she has gone on the right way since. There has been improvement in her trackwork.”

Costa Viva has struck a dead6 and a good3 in her two runs to date and Bridgman said she is comfortable in that range. She is not a wet tracker but would probably handle up to a Slow8 on class, he added.

With Dreamer and Chambord also in the 1400 metre feature at Ashburton, Bridgman would appear to have a strong hand, and he agrees. “I've got three good chances and three top riders.”

While Matt Cameron will continue his association with Costa Viva, Chris Johnson gets the chance to handle Dreamer. David Walsh had been aboard when she ran second in the Canterbury Belle Stakes last month and Dreamer has since been based at the Riccarton Park establishment of Te Akau's former South Island manager Lance Robinson. Bridgman said that while there, some changes have been made with positive results.

“She did a great job in the Canterbury Belle but maybe got to the front too soon,” he said. “She has finished second five times and may lack confidence when she reaches the front so we have put blinkers on. Her response in training to the blinkers has been a good.”

Bridgman is looking for Dreamer to pick up some more black type tomorrow and cement her place as a realistic Guineas prospect.

Jamie Bullard, who will start the day on 999 career wins, will be aboard Bridgman's third hope Chambord, and could have the most demanding job of the three riders.

“He is very exciting, he has blistering speed for a Zabeel out of a Montjeu mare but is a bit more highly strung,” says Bridgman. “He has an explosive turn of foot and the challenge is to harness it. There's still a question mark as to whether he will be the full article by Guineas time.”

Chambord cleared out to win his maiden at Poverty Bay last time out by five lengths.

Former Ashburton local Pam Gerard, now based in the north at Te Akau, has taken the newcomers south and will remain until after the Cup carnival.

The unbeaten Orovela, trained on the track and part-owned by race sponsor Ray Coupland, looks the best of the southerners. Fellow part-owner and also co-trainer, Kezia Murphy, is pleased with the Canterbury Belle Stakes winner ahead of her next big assignment.

“She is very well and we're looking forward to having her in Ray's race,” Murphy said. “Her work has been good and we expect a good run.”

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