Colgan comes up trumps after trade

TRISH DUNELL

FAVOURING THE BRAVE: Rio Fortune (Vinny Colgan) wins the Listed Mr Tiz Trophy at Ellerslie on Saturday.

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Vinnie Colgan doesn't normally settle for second best.

Colgan was happy to accept the ride on Rio Fortune, after champion jockey James McDonald preferred to ride stablemate Regal Flame in the Listed $45,000 Hallmark Stud Mr Tiz Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.

However, once the race was under way Colgan was unwilling to settle for second best and produced a stellar ride to guide the Mark Walker-trained Captain Rio gelding to success.

Colgan, from Matamata, was having his first ride on Rio Fortune but said he was more than impressed with the way the horse felt in his preliminary gallop and he jumped the three-year-old out as a confident jockey.

"I was told the race had a lot of speed and to allow him to take a sit and get off the bridle a bit," Colgan said afterwards.

"He settled beautifully and that told in the final stages when he had that little more in reserve. He's a really nice horse."

Walker will now set Rio Fortune for the Gr III $70,000 Windsor Park Stud Breeders' Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa on May 1.

"We were probably trying to ride him a bit handy so we rode him a bit quieter today. He found his feet today and got the right run through," Walker said afterwards.

Raced by the Fortuna No 7 Syndicate, Rio Fortune's win was his third from seven starts and took his earnings past $68,000.

Fledgling tracked Rio Fortune into the race and went down fighting by a neck with Italian Princess, who raced in second, sticking on gallantly for third a nose back with Kaaptan producing one of the runs of the race for fourth a neck back.

- © Fairfax NZ News