Rugged performer The Buffer showed all his fighting attributes when he forced his way between runners late in the piece to claim victory in the Coupland’s Bakeries Mile Trial (1400m) at Riccarton.
The dress rehearsal for the Gr.3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m), the feature event on the middle day of the New Zealand Cup Carnival at Riccarton in November, proved a competitive affair as contestants looked to claim a start in the big dance on 15 November.
Ridden by Danika Wilson, who is apprenticed to trainers Ken Rae and Krystal Williams, The Buffer appreciated the 4kg claim she brought to the saddle which reduced his handicap to 58kgs.
Wilson allowed her charge to loom into contention four wide on the home bend before he hit a flat spot and was shunted in behind a wall of horses.
Wilson didn’t panic as she urged him through a tight gap between eventual placegetters Goodanya and Second Thought inside the last furlong to secure her first victory in the saddle and the tenth career victory for the horse.
Rae, who purchased the son of Reliable Man for $25,000 out of the Book 2 Sale draft from the Anistay Lodge draft at Karaka in 2018, was thrilled to see The Buffer provide Wilson with her first winner.
“She is a very dedicated person who deserves that win for all the hard work she puts in,” Rae said.
“He was her first ride when he resumed and I thought she did a good job on him then and better again today.
“I told her not to panic and to stay wide as that is the best place on the track the way it is playing.
“He has that habit of hitting a flat spot in his races and when I saw him drop back I thought he would run last.
“He’s been around a bit and he needs to be ridden a certain way and he responds to the kids really well.”
Rae confirmed that the horse is unlikely to line up in the Coupland’s Bakeries Mile as he doesn’t believe he will handle a very firm track that can be on offer during the Cup Week Carnival.
“We haven’t thought about the big mile as he isn’t the soundest of horses and he just won’t cop a very firm track,” he said.
“We will keep our sights a little lower, but that way he has a few more wins left in him which is what the game is all about.”
The win brought up a double on the day for Rae and Williams who were successful with two-year-old debutant Redemption in the third race on the card.
From a family that includes multiple Group One winner Wall Street, The Buffer has now won ten of his 56 starts with another 17 placings for just over $200,000 in stakes earnings.