Times Suggest That Queensland Derby Winner Ruthven Has Spring Potential
Already the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m) winner Egg Tart (Sebring) has indicated that she has the potential to be a force in the spring, displaying a brilliant turn of foot in her impressive late-closing victory at Doomben a week earlier.
Ruthven certainly is not in the same mode as Egg Tart, a fast turn of speed is not his forte but in Saturday’s Queensland Derby he demonstrated his stamina with his three and three quarter lengths win in a very solidly run race.
Time for the 2200 metre journey was 2:14.45 and while it is difficult to compare races on different days, it was 1.55 seconds faster than Egg Tart’s win over the same distance while Ruthven’s closing speed was 1.19 seconds slower.
The feature of Ruthven’s win was the strong tempo throughout, the 2200 metre race being run at a 200 metre rate of 12.22, with the first 1600m in very solid 1:38.28 (12.28 200m rate) while the final 600 metres was 36.17 (12.05 200m rate).
Hugh Bowman always had Ruthven travelling comfortably in fourth place, seemingly enjoying the strong pace and the leading jockey showed he had confidence in his mount’s stamina when he made an early, wide move at the 700 metre mark.
Ruthven then took the lead at the home turn and soon raced clear to score clearly in an impressive staying effort with the Darren Weir-trained Rockstar Rebel (Rebel Raider) in second and the filly Ana Royale (Anacheeva) third.
It was Ruthven’s third win in ten starts (which includes five placings) and his first at Group One, following on from his second in the South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) at Morphettville on 13 May at his prior start.
The Ciaron Maher-trained three-year-old also showed his potential earlier in the year when Ruthven was fourth, beaten two lengths behind Jon Snow (Iffraaj) in the ATC Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) at Randwick on 1 April.
Later in the Doomben program the New Zealand-trained four-year-old stayer Chocante (Shocking) took out the Brisbane Cup (Gr 2, 2200m) with an all-the-way performance.
That race was over the same distance as the Queensland Derby and Chocante ran the 2200 metre journey in 2.15.07 (12.27 200m rate) which was 0.62 seconds slower overall time than Ruthven recorded.
The pace in the Brisbane Cup was not as solid in the earlier part of the race with the first 1600 metres being run in 1:40.87 (12.60 200m rate) resulting in a quicker last 600 metre time of 34.20 (11.40 200m rate).
Chocante, who is now the winner of five of 15 starts (with six placings), carried the limit weight of 53 kilograms and he proved too nippy over the closing stages to defeat a game Single Gaze (Not A Single Doubt), the 59 kilogram top weight, by three and a quarter lengths.
Saturday’s principal feature was the Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1350m), which was taken out impressively by the Godolphin-raced three-year-old colt Impending (Lonhro).
Appreciating dropping from 57 kilograms when fourth to Clearly Innocent (Not A Single Doubt) in the weight-for-age Kingsford-Smith Cup (Gr 1, 1300m) at Eagle Farm a fortnight earlier, Impending ran on strongly with 52.5 kilograms to win impressively.
After settling towards the tail of the 16-horse field from his wide barrier (13), Impending was taken deep at the home turn and finished too well to overhaul the leader In Her Time (Time Thief) by a neck with Clearly Innocent running on late for third, a length further back.
Time for the 1350 metre journey was 1:17.93, which is a fast 200 metre rate of 11.54 – equivalent to 1400 metres in 1:20.81.
The tempo was solid throughout with the first 750 metres being run in 46.49 (12.39 200m rate) with the last 600 metres in a quick 34.32 (11.44 200m rate), suggesting the form out of this year’s Stradbroke Handicap should prove reliable.
It was Impending’s third win (with five placings) from 12 starts, his first at Group One in a career that also includes an impressive win in the 2016 Stan Fox Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) at Rosehill in the spring.
The runner up In Her Time also staged an excellent effort in holding on for second after being trapped deep near the leaders in the fast run race.
While Clearly Innocent’s performance under his top weight in coming from last to take third, suggests the Kris Lees-trained sprinter is only getting better and he is likely to progress to even better things over the spring carnival.
The Doomben meeting also proved another most successful day for Hugh Bowman, the leading jockey winning three of the nine races, as well as the Queensland Derby he won the Wayne Wilson Plate (Listed, 1600m) with Religify (Choisir) and the Queensland Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m) on Salsonic (Hinchinbrook).
The Jason Coyle-trained Salsonic was somewhat of a surprise, winning only his second race in 15 starts and at the odds of $13.00, yet the colt displayed potential to advance to better things in the spring.
After a slow beginning, Salsonic was a clear last in the 16-horse field in the early stages before tracking up deep nearing the home turn.
He then then came with a strong run, hit the front at the 100 metre mark before going on to score by three quarters of a length from Volpino (Foxwedge) with Niccanova (Nicconi) a half length further back in third.
Time for the 1600 metre journey was a quick 1:34.85 (11.85 200m rate) with a strong early tempo that saw the first 1000 metres clocked in 58.88 (11.77 200m rate), which brought out the best in Salsonic having raced off the pace and ridden patiently by Bowman.
“Aided by a ridiculous tempo early, half way through it I thought why aren’t they coming back to me? I had to switch him on to get him involved, but if he can grow up in the mind, he will be a serious horse come the spring,” Bowman said later of Salsonic’s win.