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Bruce Smith thought he knew his stable star Kings Pal inside out, but the veteran galloper had a pleasant surprise in store for his Amberley trainer this week during their long trek north to Taranaki.
“He’s coped with the trip 100 per cent, better than I thought he would,” he said.
“I’ve had him all his life and I was a bit worried, but I couldn’t be happier. He’s settled in well and eaten everything up.”
Saturday’s ITM Interprovincial Challenge at New Plymouth has been a race on Kings Pal’s programme for a while and was confirmed with three solid performances at Riccarton earlier in the month.
“I had a plan going into the Grand National carnival and he fronted up for us,” Smith said.
Kings Pal was out of the money on the first day, but bounced back to win four days later and then finished runner-up on the closing day.
“He’s been a great horse for me and taught me a lot,” Smith said. “It’s a privilege to train him and for the owner, she’s never questioned anything.”
Bred and raced by Cantabrian Angela Hutchinson, the nine-year-old Kings Pal has won five of his 48 starts.
“He didn’t race until he was a late four-year-old and he’s as sound as a drum,” Smith said. “The only question mark could be coming back to the mile, but it’s a Heavy 11 here so it will seem like further.”
Kings Pal, whose stablemate Moonofklairessa was unplaced in the race last season, will be ridden by Chris Johnson, who has won on the gelding before.
“If the horse runs up to expectations then we could stay up here for the Foxton Cup over 2200m,” Smith said. – NZ Racing Desk.