Former Queensland trained sprinter Ready To Rip will bypass this Saturday’s Group 1 $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m) at Eagle Farm with trainer Peter Moody saving the five year old for Doomben next week.
Ready To Rip not to run in this week's BTC Cup, will race at Doomben the following week. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Ready To Rip will make his second Winter Carnival appearance in the easier Group 3 $125,000 Darley BRC Sprint (1350m) under handicap conditions.
“I wanted to give him three weeks between runs so he won’t run in the BTC Cup, rather we’ll wait another week and he can run in the 1350 metre sprint then,” Moody said.
Ready To Rip had a tough run behind Buffering and couldn’t match it with the Robert Heathcote trained speedster when sixth, beaten almost six lengths in the slick time of 1.08.54s and Moody wanted to make sure the five year old has plenty of time to recuperate.
“Not much went right for him behind Buffering and I was really keen to make sure he had three weeks between runs,” Moody said.
Moody brought Ready To Rip back to Queensland, where he did all his early racing under Sunshine Coast trainer Andrew Williamson, after winning the Listed $120,000 Thoroughbred Club Cup (1200m) at Caulfield on March 23.
The Caulfield win was the third for Moody following his wins over 1200m at Flemington at his first run for the stable last July followed by a win in the Group 3 $125,000 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Buffering, with race jockey Damien Browne on aboard worked with stable mate Bribie on the Doomben course proper this morning over 1000m and pleased Heathcote with the solid workout.
“Nice work, he’s fit enough,” Heathcote said after the pair went to the line together under a good hold.
There is certain to be plenty of pressure up front in the BTC Cup with Joe Pride’s front running Rain Affair in fine form coming off a gutsy second to All Too Hard after setting the pace in the Group 1 $400,000 Yarraman Park All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 27.
“He’s had to take on the best of the best, and I’m looking forward to a little bit of a drop in grade,” Pride said.
“It’s still a Group 1 race and it will be very competitive, but at least we won’t be bumping into Black Caviar or All Too Hard this time.”
As expected Buffering is the $2.80 favourite to score his first Group 1 victory with last year’s BTC Cup winner Sea Siren at $4.
Better Than Ready is also prominent in the betting at $4.50 with Rain Affair breathing down his neck at $5.
