Leith Innes and Rasa Lila winning the Gr.2 Travis Stakes
Trish Dunell
The withdrawal of Kawi from the Gr.1 Livamol Classic won't prevent his regular rider Leith Innes from a crack at a Hawke's Bay carnival first.
Having partnered Allan Sharrock's star to victory in the opening two legs of the Triple Crown, Innes is now in line to become the only jockey to claim all three titles at Hastings in the same year.
Rasa Lila's co-trainer Julia Ritchie has confirmed that Innes, who won the Gr.2 Travis Stakes and the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes on the mare last season, will be re-united with the daughter of Darci Brahma in the Livamol on October 1.
She is currently favourite for the feature following her bold resuming run for third in the Windsor Park Plate.
"She came home in a very fast last 600 metres," said Ritchie, who prepares Rasa Lila with Steven Ramsay.
"It was always going to be difficult being fresh-up in a Group One and Allan Sharrock says Kawi is the best horse he's ever trained so it was very good for us to get as close as we did.
"She has come through the race very well so we're all happy."
In the meantime, Innes will ride the debutante Provision in the Paul Jones Contracting 1400 at Matamata on Wednesday.
"She's only a little filly and still a bit green, but she's gone good trials and she is working well – the heavy track may be a concern though," Ritchie said.
The state of the going will be the least of her worries with Meritaggio, who takes a major step back in class in the Gregory Equine 1600 after unsuccessfully taking on the Gr.3 Merial Metric Mile last time out.
"She was outclassed, but she went so well in the Interprovincial that we had to have a crack at black type," Ritchie said.
"She doesn't travel away that well and after the trip the only query might be backing her up 10 days later." – NZ Racing Desk.
Having partnered Allan Sharrock's star to victory in the opening two legs of the Triple Crown, Innes is now in line to become the only jockey to claim all three titles at Hastings in the same year.
Rasa Lila's co-trainer Julia Ritchie has confirmed that Innes, who won the Gr.2 Travis Stakes and the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes on the mare last season, will be re-united with the daughter of Darci Brahma in the Livamol on October 1.
She is currently favourite for the feature following her bold resuming run for third in the Windsor Park Plate.
"She came home in a very fast last 600 metres," said Ritchie, who prepares Rasa Lila with Steven Ramsay.
"It was always going to be difficult being fresh-up in a Group One and Allan Sharrock says Kawi is the best horse he's ever trained so it was very good for us to get as close as we did.
"She has come through the race very well so we're all happy."
In the meantime, Innes will ride the debutante Provision in the Paul Jones Contracting 1400 at Matamata on Wednesday.
"She's only a little filly and still a bit green, but she's gone good trials and she is working well – the heavy track may be a concern though," Ritchie said.
The state of the going will be the least of her worries with Meritaggio, who takes a major step back in class in the Gregory Equine 1600 after unsuccessfully taking on the Gr.3 Merial Metric Mile last time out.
"She was outclassed, but she went so well in the Interprovincial that we had to have a crack at black type," Ritchie said.
"She doesn't travel away that well and after the trip the only query might be backing her up 10 days later." – NZ Racing Desk.
