This Devil Delights

In the colours of Sir Peter Vela, talented galloper Devil May Care (4 g Lonhro - Devil's Song, by Stravinsky) made it two wins from his last three starts with a blistering finish from back in the field on 26 April at Tauranga.

Handily drawn (2) but slowly away in the $10,000 Financial Independence Rating 65 1300 metres, Devil May Care stood the leaders eight lengths when 10^th at the 600 metres. Still a long way out of his ground at the 300m, he mustered a huge run under Shafiq which enabled him to coast home in the last few strides.

“It got a little bit tricky at the 600m, when he couldn't get out and get going, but to Suppy's (Shafiq) credit he rode him nice and patiently,” said co-trainer Jamie Richards. “The pattern for the last few races had been back and wide, and he's a horse that's got plenty of talent. He's got a couple of little issues but when he's ridden quiet he can certainly finish off.

“He'll improve again with another break. He's quite an immature sort of horse, even though he is a four-year-old. We'd like to thank Sir Peter (Vela) and his team at Pencarrow, as they've been very patient, duly rewarded, and it's lovely to have another winner in the blue & white (colours).

“Shafiq is a very underrated rider that came over from Mark (Walker) with a big rap from him, so we've given him plenty of support and he's riding winners for us, and hopefully a couple of outside trainers put their hands up and he might get a few more rides.”

Following two wins and two seconds, from four runners, a day earlier (Anzac Day), the saloon run for training partners Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards continued at Tauranga, with wins by Icebomb and Devil May Care, while their only other runner, Full of Grace (O'Reilly), finished third.

In the past seven weeks, they have recorded 22 wins from 72 runners, a phenomenal strike rate of 3.2, and while the trainers have been doing their thing, Shafiq, too, has not missed a beat since arriving from Singapore. Commencing on 10 March, he has recorded seven wins and eight places from 20 rides for the stable, a winning strike rate of 2.5 - extraordinary.

“It's always exciting to train another winner for my good friend Sir Peter Vela, and Devil May Care has continued an unbelievable season for Te Akau Racing,” said the principal, David Ellis.

“We've had 16 black type wins already and we've got two good chances in stakes' races on Saturday at Te Rapa, so we're hoping the rain holds off.”

Statistics also told a story in the case of Devil May Care, and the win came as no real surprise. He had won effortlessly at the trials before winning untouched, in the fastest final 600m (35.1) of the day, when resuming over 1200 metres in March at Matamata, and ran the second fastest (34.4) for fifth in the Rating 65 1200 metres on 6 April at Awapuni.

Devil May Care covered the 1300 metres in 1:16.5, last 600m in 34.5, on Dead5 footing, returning $3.30 & $1.60 on the NZ TAB tote.

“Jamie (Richards) has been in touch and he's going to come home for a nice spell, now, and we'll get him ready for the spring,” said Pencarrow racing manager Garry Cossey.

“He's certainly got some ability and it was a good win today. The rest of the placegetters were all up on speed and he's finished very strongly. It was a nice, patient, ride by Shafiq and as Opie (Bosson) reported when he won on him at Matamata, “he feels nice when he lets down”.

“He's got a really good finish on him when the races are run to suit. It helps those horses like him that race back in the field when they go hard in front and they can get over the top of them. He's still learning a bit too, because he hasn't had many starts.

“He was thereabouts in a couple of strong fields, with a second and two thirds in his first campaign, and since then he's struck races that have looked very winnable and he's done the job. Sir Peter will be pleased with that, and the horse is going the right way.

“He's obviously got a few minor issues, but Steve and Jamie have done a great job managing him and that's the key. The communication from them is perfect and everything is spot on in that regard.”

Cossey, with an entrenched knowledge of the New Zealand racing industry, was also taken with the recent stats by the trainers and jockey.

“Those figures are impressive, particularly at this time of year when the tracks can be a bit in or out, and fresh horses coming on the scene, and Shafiq, well, he's a big asset to our riding ranks and he can ride light (53kgs) too,” he said.

Devil May Care was strapped by Nik Bakar.

Photo credit - www.raceimges.co.nz