Military Move emulates 'Big Red' with win

BY AIDAN RODLEY

Phillip Leishman wanted a Derby tip.

The broadcasting personality and Friday's Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony compere had just interviewed Cambridge trainer Shaune Ritchie about his role in new Hall of Fame galloper
Bonecrusher's career and took the opportunity to get the inside oil on Military Move's chances for the $2.2 million New Zealand Derby the following day.

Ritchie was brutally honest with his response. ''He's a flukish chance. He's no Bonecrusher.''

The following day Military Move was Bonecrusher.

Under a tactically perfect Michael Walker ride, the Ritchie-trained Military Move capitalised on an economical run in the trail to burst clear at the 300m mark and set up a winning break.

That ''flukish chance'' had just emulated ''Big Red'', whose feats of winning nine Gr I races - six in Australia including his unforgettable 1986 Cox Plate battle with Waverley Star - earned him entry to the Racing Hall of Fame.

Ritchie's father Frank trained Bonecrusher and most of Shaune's teenage years were spent tending to the popular chestnut as strapper.

Bonecrusher won three Gr I races at Ellerslie including the 1985 New Zealand Derby and it was the sense of tradition and achievement that had Ritchie so chuffed afterwards.

''My grandfather, Merv Ritchie, was beaten nose in this race with Terrific. Dad got square with Bonecrusher and I'm just pleased to be part of the eulogy,'' Ritchie said.

''This was the one race Merv didn't win. He won just about everything else and he didn't leave a lot for the rest of the family.

''Ellerslie has always been my family's background. My grandfather trained here, and so did dad, and I was brought up here and went to school just down the road, so for me to win a Derby here is pretty special. My grandfather's ashes are scattered on the hill.''

Frank Ritchie was quick to acknowledge his son's triumph with a big bear hug in a compelling family photo album-type moment.

''This is fantastic. Shaune's done a fantastic job. I'm very proud of him,'' Frank said.

Military Move's win was just his second win from eight starts and his first since his maiden win over 1200m at Taupo last September.
He has exclusively contested stakes races since and never finished worse than fifth, placing in both the Listed Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie and Gr II Wellington Guineas before his courageous second to Katie Lee in the $1 million 2000 Guineas at Riccarton in November.

Leading into the Derby, he struck an unsuitable slow track for the Gr III Wellington Stakes, then drew wide when fourth in the Gr III Waikato Guineas at Te Rapa and fifth in the Gr II Championship Stakes at Ellerslie.

''Katie Lee was too brilliant in the 2000 Guineas and from there we tried to educate him to stay a Derby trip,'' Ritchie said.

''We got a wet track at Wellington then got two marbles [barrier draws] which meant we couldn't put him on the pace like we wanted.
''Today he had the good barrier draw and it was a superb ride. This horse has had no luck and we didn't know if he was up to them or whether he'd run a mile and a half, and he's done both - and in the right race. We knew he had a turn of foot, we just didn't know if he was going to stay.''

Breeders Windsor Park Stud sold Military Move for $75,000 as a yearling at Karaka, knocked down to New Zealand Bloodstock as agent.

Military Move went back through the sales later that year and sold for $110,000 at the Ready To Run Sale of two-year-olds at Karaka, bought by Hong Kong trainer Almond Lee, whose owner soon afterwards reneged on the deal and he was snapped up by Queensland bloodstock agent Paul Bellingham on behalf of Hong Kong owner Steven Kit Sing Lo.

Bellingham transferred him from Matamata's Jim Collett to Ritchie.
Bellingham had previously bought subsequent Hong Kong Derby runner-up Thumbs Up out of Ritchie's stable and said Military Move would follow the same path.

However, Ritchie is first likely to get to keep the Volksraad gelding for a two-race Sydney campaign, taking in the Gr I A$500,000 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 27 and the Gr I A$1.3 million AJC Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 10.

Ritchie was philosophical about losing the horse to Hong Kong.
''He won't be here as a four-year-old but I'm sure he'll represent New Zealand well in the Hong Kong Derby, just as Thumbs Up did,'' he said.

''I've got quite a few Hong Kong horses in my stable and without them I'd be struggling to run a business. To fill a stable up and make them viable we need those Hong Kong horses.

''We get to race them at two and three local seasons, and if they go and perform in Hong Kong, the owners would reinvest back in New Zealand horses, and that's good for our industry.''

Runner-up Corporal Jones will also head to Hong Kong, but without another race first.

Hong Kong-based rider Zac Purton blamed the race tempo for Corporal Jones' defeat. ''He ran really well. They just ran it too stop-start.''

Matamata trainer John Sargent was thrilled with third-placed Handsome Zulu's run for third and said he would also head to Sydney for both the Rosehill Guineas and AJC Derby.

Matamata trainer Mark Walker will consider the Gr I New Zealand Oaks as an option for Zarzuela.

Rider James McDonald said a heavy shower of rain about an hour before the race followed by another shower just before the start were factors in Zarzuela's defeat. ''She was never comfortable. She had her chance to finish it off and in the ground, she couldn't.''

Leith Innes said Monaco Consul was too ''colty'' for his own good and had begun ''calling out'' when he arrived at the barriers and then never switched on in the race.

''He was off the bit the whole way,'' Innes said.

Jockey Opie Bosson said Katie Lee was another disadvantaged by the rain making the track ''shifty''. The dual Gr I-winning filly will go to paddock.

- © Fairfax NZ News