3 minute read

The hard work for Riccarton is over and now James Bridge is hoping to savour the rewards.

The Byerley Park trainer has two high profile runners on the closing day of New Zealand Cup and Show Week with Mystery Show to step out in the Gr.1 gavelhouse.com NZ 1000 Guineas and Gilhoolie will tackle the Listed Barneswood Farm Stakes.

“I’m really happy with both of them and I’ve done my job – it’s up to them now,” Bridge said.

“They flew down on Wednesday morning without any problems and they’ve settled in really well down here.

“I know that if they both run up to their form then they will be hard to beat.”

Mystery Show has two wins and three placings from her five starts, including a third in the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes, a position she also filled last time out from a horror gate in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes.

“It was a terrific effort at Ellerslie and we’ve got the draw to ride her a bit closer on Saturday,” Bridge said. “I was really stoked with barrier six.

“I can’t get her any better – it’s been a faultless preparation so hopefully she can now show that on the track on Saturday.

“It looks like there might be a bit of rain around and that won’t do either of my two any harm, but we wouldn’t want it to get into the slow range.”

Mystery Show’s two-year-old stablemate Gilhoolie has done well since his winning debut effort at Ellerslie last month.

“He’s got a magnificent temperament, he’s just so relaxed and nothing fazes him,” Bridge said.

“After he won at Ellerslie I had two races in mind for him – either the Murdoch Newell Stakes at Pukekohe or the Welcome Stakes.

“Once it was confirmed that Mystery Show was going to Riccarton it made sense to bring Gilhoolie as well.”