Cup Breakthrough for The Good Fight (NZ)

Quality Karaka-sourced stayer The Good Fight (NZ) (High Chaparral) earned a well-deserved first stakes success with a dominant performance in Saturday’s $75,000 Group Three Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m). 

Bought by co-trainer Shaune Ritchie for $300,000 from the 2016 Premier Sale, the gelding now has a Group Three victory to sit alongside his bold placings in the Group Three Wellington Cup (3200m), Group Three City of Auckland Cup (2400m), Listed Metropolitan Trophy (2500m) and Listed Marton Cup (2200m).

The Good Fight has earned more than $243,000 in stakes in his 29-start career so far, and now Ritchie and co-trainer Colm Murray are eyeing a shot at the lucrative A$300,000 Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool on 28 November.

“We had a go at the New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton last year, but the ground was just too firm for him,” Ritchie told NZ Racing Desk. “This time we’ve been thinking about the Jericho Cup at Warrnambool in November, as it tends to be run on a wet track.

“It’s worth A$300,000, and we think he is just the type of horse that would be suited, as long as we can get him qualified. There is a qualifying race at New Plymouth in September that we would target, but at this stage it’s just one of the thoughts that we have for him.”

Saturday’s Rotorua Cup was the powerful big-race staying performance The Good Fight has been promising to deliver for much of his career.

Ridden by Sam Collett, the six-year-old settled in the back half of the field before beginning a purposeful move forward as the field made their way out of the back straight.

The Good Fight was travelling better than any of his rivals a long way from the finish, and he put them to the sword in the straight with a potent kick.

Ridden with hands and heels through the last 150 metres, The Good Fight cruised to victory by three and three-quarter lengths.

“I’ve always felt he feels the harder tracks, but we’ve run him in the spring and summer because that’s where the better money is for a staying horse like him,” Ritchie said.

“He had won quite easily on a heavy track earlier in his career, so we thought we’d put him away after the Wellington Cup and bring him back for a crack at a race like this.

“I think he loved it out there today. He just kept coming over the last 800 metres and looked good doing it.”

The Rotorua Cup produced a Karaka quinella, with runner-up Voler Pour Moi (NZ) (Pour Moi) passed in without a reserve at the 2015 Select Sale. She has now had 37 starts for six wins, nine placings and $137,037 in stakes.

Vendor	Rich Hill Stud
Purchaser	Mr SF Ritchie (Cambridge)
Breeding	High Chaparral – Pravda
Sale	Lot 18, 2016 Premier Sale, $300,000
Bred by	Dame Sian Elias & H A Fletcher