Trish Dunell
Ruakaka trainer Chris Gibbs dominated his local meeting with five winners on the ten race program, but it is one of the stable’s seven placegetters that looms as a potential Cups horse.
Jake The Muss was runner up to stablemate Greencast in the Reyburn & Bryant Bream Bay Cup (1600m) and Gibbs believes the rising five-year-old has a good future over ground.
“To be honest, it was the stablemate who chopped him off and it might have cost him the win on Saturday,” Gibbs said.
“He really hit the line hard. If he can get the right run and settle midfield, I think he is really going to pick up a nice race. He is still maturing and he is a full-brother to Consensus, so the family has obviously got a bit of ability.
“I think he’d like to have a crack at 3200m and we will aim for the New Zealand Cup if we can get him there.”