The outstanding season for trainer Robbie Patterson continued on Saturday when the New Plymouth horseman saddled the quinella in the Adrian & Associates Insurance 1400m at Te Rapa with progressive mares Mary Louise and Nom De Plume.
Ridden by three-kilo claiming apprentice Ciel Butler, Mary Louise carried 57kgs after the claim and, despite traveling wide for much of the trip, proved too good for her opposition, while Nom De Plume hit the line well for second.
“Mary Louise was probably the class horse of the field yesterday,” Patterson said. “I thought she got in well at the weights with the claim and I was expecting her to go pretty well.
“She got away at Rotorua the week before and got late scratched but we got a chance to run on Saturday and get the chocolates. She is a really progressive stayer going forward.
“Nom De Plume was always going to get back a little bit and find the line strong. She is a staying mare as well and I was really happy with her run.”
Te Rapa has been a happy-hunting ground for Patterson, who saddled Queensland-bound pair Puntura and The Fearless One to finish first and third at the Hamilton venue a week earlier, with a winning strike-rate of 22.4 percent at the course over the duration of his career.
“Every horse always seems to have their chance there,” Patterson said.
“It is a four hour trip for us, so we’re not going there for the drive. When we go, we make sure we have got the right horses. It has been a really good track to us.”
While Puntura and The Fearless One are all but confirmed to make the trip to Queensland, Mary Louise and Nom De Plume will also be considered, with Patterson to take a squad of four on May 22.
“The Fearless One will go to the Lord Mayor’s Cup (Gr.3, 1800m) at the end of May and then to the Ipswich Cup (Listed, 2150m), with the Tattersall’s Cup (Gr.3, 2400m) or the Caloundra Cup (Listed, 2400m) also options,” Patterson said.
“Puntura will go to the Spear Chief (Listed, 1500m) and then to either the Tattersall’s Mile (Listed, 1600m) or The Glasshouse (Listed, 1400m).
“Nom De Plume, Mary Louise, One Bold Cat and Terziere are all in consideration but I have only got four spots on the plane.”
With the trials at Te Aroha cancelled last Thursday after a horse slipped on the newly refurbished surface in trackwork, Patterson was forced to pivot, taking a team of six to the Cambridge polytrack trials on Friday, where he was pleased with the efforts of a number of his runners, including One Bold Cat, Terziere and her half-sister Contribute.
“I wanted to get some miles in their legs before the winter sets in, but they went super,” Patterson said.
“We’ve got races next week that will tell the story of who is actually going to Queensland based on how they go next weekend.”
Like a number of trainers on both sides of the Tasman, Patterson has had difficulty securing suitable boxes in Brisbane, with stabling in short supply and in aged-condition.
“I will get them but we might just have to go further out of town to a place like the Sunshine Coast,” he said.
Mary Louise’s victory on Saturday was Patterson’s 43rd for the season at a phenomenal strike rate of a winner every 3.88 runners. The career-best tally has Patterson currently third on the Trainers’ Premiership behind the juggernauts of Mark Walker (176 wins) and Stephen Marsh (81 wins).
“I have got really good staff and I am starting to get a few numbers around me now,” Patterson said.
“We can weed out the slow ones a lot quicker now. If they are not showing anything at home we just get them rehomed as quickly as we can so we don’t sour the owner and we move on to the next one hopefully.
“Overall it is a well-oiled machine at the moment. Long may it last.”