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Liefting’s lad no one trick pony

3 minute read

Danza Lad capped off a near perfect day for trainer Rudy Liefting when he further pressed his claims at Awapuni for a trip to Melbourne.

Danza Lad winning the James Bull Rangitikei Gold Cup
Danza Lad winning the James Bull Rangitikei Gold Cup Picture: Race Images PN

The six-year-old won for the ninth time in his career with a tenacious victory in Saturday’s Listed James Bull Rangitikei Gold Cup to complete a double for the stable following A Tad Leica’s earlier success in the three-year-old event.

And at Te Rapa, Just Got Home thrilled Liefting with his second-up effort to finish runner-up in the Porritt Sand Waikato Hurdles and confirm he was in good touch for his forthcoming Australian campaign.

“I’ll be plotting a path to the Grand National Hurdles with him,” Liefting said. “He went a really good race and he’s peaking for the trip.”

Danza Lad is likely to accompany Just Got Home to Victoria where he will have two strings to his bow having recently earned his jumping ticket.

“He would race on the flat to see how he measures up and I will be tempted to give him his first hurdle start over there as well,” Liefting said.

“I thought the ground may have been a bit too heavy for him at Awapuni and the Melbourne winter tracks should really suit him.”

Danza Lad raced close to the pace and he proved too tough for Duffers Creek and Taurus in the straight.

While Liefting has never questioned Danza Lad’s quality, he is being forced to alter his opinion of A Tad Leica.

“She’s better than I thought she was,” he said. “She’s only tiny, but she’s got some heart.”

Out of a half-sister to Liefting’s multiple Group One winner Justa Tad, the dam of Just Got Home, she won her maiden on the track last month and handled a rise in class to claim the SB Contractors/Taylor Agriculture 3YO at the expense of Darci Mac and Leeds.
NZ Racing News

Awapuni

Saturday, 16th May 2015

8
15:28
(local)

James Bull Rangitikei Gold Cup (LR)

WT: 53kg Type: OPEN
NZD $50,000
1600m TURF HEAVY
8
15:28
(local)
NZD $50,000
1600m HEAVY

James Bull Rangitikei Gold Cup (LR)

WT: 53kg Type: OPEN

The track at Awapuni was a bottomless bog and as testing as seen in living memory especially considering winter has not yet begun. The feature Listed mile today was run and won in 1:51.21 with some very tired runners at the finish seeing a fifteen lengths spread from first to last at the post. The time actually made even worse reading when in the event prior, a Ratings 75 (or two grades below Open Class plus another likely from Listed grade) ran 1:50.44 or over four lengths superior. Danza Lad a known winter mudlark outslogged his rivals third up and was winning his ninth race in thirty-four starts with six of them now coming at the mile. He was a G3 winner in October of 2013 at 53.5kg so today at 53kg was nicely situated and with this gelding the wetter the better. Duffers Creek ran a sound second and tried hard but gave the winner 1.5kg and this was the first time he had ever contested a blacktype race. Taurus ran on for his usual solid effort to get third and he does earn the bulk of his money on wet ground. St Ransom led and held onto fourth beaten just under three lengths, so considering he was out of his depth on paper it showed how heavy ground is quite the equalizer. Bonny Heights, also out of her depth, battled on well to the line too a nostril behind St Ransom. Thorn Prince buckled under his weight after trying again to improve closer in across the top and swim hard the run home but it came to no avail today. The other two distant finishers were either outclassed or not seasoned enough. Hard to take the form seriously as it only becomes of use when they are running miles in over 1:50 and that is unheard of over autumn and is not a regular occurrence over winter at most tracks too.



FP Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 5. DANZA LAD (NZ) 6yo G
WOODBURY LAD (USA) - DANZA DAISY (NZ)
KANE SMITH
RUDY LIEFTING
$2
53kg
Kakapo Lodge Ltd, G Taylor, D Barry, D Williamson, R & Mrs D Best
2nd 4. DUFFERS CREEK (NZ) 5yo G
GOLD CENTRE (AUS) - MISS LEADING (NZ)
KELLY MYERS
KEVIN MYERS
$2
54.5kg
I S & Mrs M G Morrison
3rd 3. TAURUS (NZ) 6yo G
NO EXCUSE NEEDED (GB) - STARS IN HER EYES (NZ)
JOSHUA OLIVER
J J & E RAYNER
$2
54.5kg
Starry Eyed Syndicate
4th 7. ST RANSOM (NZ) 6yo G
HANDSOME RANSOM (AUS) - ST DIVOT (NZ)
ROBERT HANNAM
GARY VILE
$2
53kg
5th 10. BONNY HEIGHTS (NZ) 5yo M
SHINKO KING (IRE) - BLUE BONNY (NZ)
DARRYL BRADLEY
FRASER AURET
$2
53kg
6th 2. THORN PRINCE (NZ) 6yo G
THORN PARK (AUS) - SHINKO PRINCESS (NZ)
JOHNATHON PARKES
FRASER AURET
$2
55.5kg
7th 11. CRACKLING ROSIE (NZ) 5yo M
FALTAAT (USA) - SWEET CAROLINE (NZ)
MIRANDA DRAVITZKI
MIKE BRESLIN
$2
53kg
8th 8. GOOD ONE GLADY (NZ) 7yo M
GOLAN (IRE) - JULIE O'REILLY (NZ)
R J MYERS
MATTHEW IVIL
$2
53kg

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