Michael and Matthew Pitman are gearing up for their favourite week of the year – the New Zealand Cup carnival at Riccarton.
The father-and-son training partnership will have a strong representation at the opening day of the carnival, with 17 of their runners set to carry their silks on Saturday.
“It’s a great week, I am really looking forward to it,” Michael Pitman said.
The leading South Island trainers will have a two-pronged attack in the Listed Donaldson Brown Pegasus Stakes (1000m) courtesy of Okay Pal and My World.
My World was runner-up behind Live Drama in the Stewards Handicap Trial (1200m) last month, while Okay Pal will be first-up on Saturday before backing up in the Gr.3 Lindauer Stewards Stakes (1200m) seven days later, a race he ran fourth in last year.
“Okay Pal has always raced well at the meeting. He hasn’t had a trial but that is the way we do things, and we are happy with him,” Pitman said.
“He will back-up in the Stewards.
“I wasn’t going to run My World but decided he needed to have a solid go if he is getting ready for the 1400m race on the last day.
“You might as well be galloping in a smallish field for $80,000 than just doing it on a track for nothing.”
The Pitmans will be represented by Charbano in Saturday’s feature race, the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), but Pitman is more hopeful than confident with the Vespa gelding.
“He has gone near enough in his last couple of races, but he hasn’t quite had the rub if the green. I left it up to the owners and they decided to press ahead,” he said.
With an army of other runners on the day, Pitman is confident the stable will get a winning cheque in the NZB Ready To Run Sale Trainers Series (1200m) where they will line-up five runners.
“The maidens that we have got in are all nice horses. They have all got raceday or trial form,” Pitman said.
“Probably the best of them is Express Coup, but unfortunately she has drawn 17. But it is a $30,000 1200m maiden, so we won’t be scratching her, but it is not ideal.”
Of his other runners, Pitman believes Ceddy Smith and Golden Harvest are good chances in the One Good Horse At Avonhead Tavern Premier (1200m) and Garrards Horse & Hound Premier (1100m).
“We did give consideration to running Golden Harvest in the Pegasus as well, but we decided to run him in the 75 1100m instead,” Pitman said. “And Ceddy Smith has come up really well.”