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Interpretation bidding to break winning drought

Ciaron Maher will make a rare raid to New Zealand on Saturday as he prepares to run Interpretation (Galileo) in the Wellington Cup (Gr 3, 3200m) at Trentham. The now eight-year-old son of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) will be bidding to break a long drought, having last entered the winner’s circle on November 1, 2023 when taking out the Bendigo Cup (Gr 3, 2400m). This weekend will not be Interpretation’s first time in New Zealand or indeed at Trentham, with the gelding having run seventh in last year’s Wellington Cup before a sixth placing in the Avondale Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) and third-placed run in the Auckland Cup (Gr 2, 3200m) – both at Ellerslie. “All has been good with the preparation leading in,” Maher’s assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said. “He galloped on Saturday morning and Luke Cartwright will be aboard.” Interpretation is at $6 on the third line of betting in markets for the Wellington Cup, with last-start Trentham Stakes (Gr 3, 2100m) winner Rosso (Camelot) the $3 favourite. “He ran a cracker in the Bendigo Cup last year and he is the dourest stayer we would have,” Turnbull added. “He’s danced every dance but unfortunately with his rating and with the type of horse he is and the age he is, you’ve only got two or three races a year for him.”

Weight and pedigree queries no bar for Patterson

Robbie Patterson isn’t letting weight and pedigree queries dent his confidence with One Bold Cat (The Bold One) ahead of Saturday’s Wellington Cup. The New Plymouth trainer reports that everything has gone to plan with One Bold Cat since running on the first two days of the Trentham carnival. Ridden by stable jockey Craig Grylls, in the first of those races, One Bold Cat won the Marton Cup (Listed, 2200m), followed by a late-closing third in the Trentham Stakes. “I couldn’t be happier with him, he’s as good as he could be,” Patterson said. “Craig said just keep doing what I’ve been doing, so it’s all gone smoothly.” Patterson does concede that One Bold Cat will be obliged to carry clear topweight in Saturday’s staying test, while the gelding’s pedigree does raise stamina queries, but neither is a great concern. His anticipated handicap of 59 kilograms is some five kilograms more than the favourite Rosso. “It’s not like the days of Great Sensation when he carried those massive weights, there was a much lower minimum back then and my horse has already managed big weights,” Patterson said. “As far as pedigree goes, we won the [2024 Wellington] Cup with Mary Louise, who was also by The Bold One from a mare by a sprinting stallion and that didn’t stop her. All I know is we’ve got a horse in the right form, we set him for the race a long time ago, and everything has gone to plan.”