FREAKISH three-year-old Ripp headlines the strongest race meeting in Redcliffe’s history.
3YO pacer Ripp and driver Doug Hewitt. Picture: National Trotguide
The $106,000 Group 1 Redcliffe Gold Cup has attracted a tremendous field, but Ripp’s first-up run in the Group 3 Redcliffe Derby which has set tongues wagging.
Respected NSW trainer Bernie Hewitt fuelled the buzz this week. “He looks like one right out of the box. He’s the best horse I’ve had.”
Ripp missed most of his two-year-old because of injury and his seven starts have netted six wins, two of them at Group 1 level in the Australian Gold 3YO final and Bathurst Gold Chalice final.
It is a career which could easily have been over after just one start.
“After his first win he was running through a creek and almost completely severed his superficial flexor tendon,” Hewitt said.
“When we first saw it we thought ‘that’s it, he’s done’.
“But the vet did a great job, he had a long time off in jail (in a box) and has been nursed back.
“We really thought there was minimal chance he would return, especially being such a big horse and so fast.”
Ripp has more than 13 months away from racing and has returned in stunning style.
Despite his inexperience, connections including one of Australia’s biggest owners Wayne Loader, jumped at the chance to tackle older and more seasoned stars in the $305,000 Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park on July 9.
Driver Doug Hewitt with Ripp. Picture: National Trotguide
And that’s why he is returning from a let-up in Saturday night’s Redcliffe Derby.
“He needed a run before the big one and even though this isn’t ideal, we debated it long and hard and decided to run him this week,” Hewitt said.
“He’s first-up, we don’t know how a big horse like him will get around the (small and tight) Redcliffe track and he’s drawn wide as well. In many ways, this is his biggest challenge so far.”
Ripp stunned onlookers and rival horsemen when he won an Albion Park trial in “second gear” in a blistering 1min51.3sec mile rate for 1660m on Tuesday.
“We didn’t plan to go that fast, but he was contacting the sulky (with his back legs) and got keen, so I had to pull him out before the bend and give him space. He still did it easily and felt terrific on the line,” Hewitt said.
“I’ll leave the driving tactics up to Doug (Hewitt’s son) on Saturday night, but I don’t see a lot of point in pushing forward from that draw. I could see him going back and then making a move to get into the action.
“I don’t think they’ll go hard enough for us just to sit back last and round them up.”
Ripp is one of three outstanding three-year-olds in Aussie pacing this season. Victoria’s Catch A Wave and Queensland’s Leap To Fame are the others.
Leap To Fame will be among Ripp’s rivals in the Rising Sun and the pair will also clash in the Group 1 Queensland Derby (July 23).
“After Queensland he’s got the Victoria Derby, Breeders Crown and Vicbred series, but we’ll have to make some choices because you can’t run in them all if we want him at his top for the Chariots Of Fire early next year,” Hewitt said.
- Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
