News

Big things predicted for Castletown Stakes winner

1st Jun 2014

The Informant - Dennis Ryan - Saturday, 31 May 2014

Awapuni trainer Mike Breslin predicted even better to come in the spring from Leeds after the strapping two-year-old had dug deep to win the Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes at Wanganui today.

Having his third start, the Australian-bred grey knuckled down for Johnathan Riddell to wear down the pacemaker Second Time Lucky and take the honours by a neck, with a break of four lengths to the first of the northern contingent, Stralis. The previously unbeaten favourite Queen Of Navarre was next, unable to round off her effort after travelling three-wide.

Breslin, who races Leeds in partnership with Peter Didham, Peter Gillespie, John Heale and Mike Morton, went into today’s 1200-metre race confident that he had trained on well from his last start win.

“His work with Salamanca on Wednesday morning was just sensational,” Breslin said. “He’s a gorgeous horse, a great physical specimen.

“That’s it for now though, he’ll go straight to the paddock and be back in time for the Wanganui Guineas. He’s got a lovely action and whatever he’s doing now on these tracks, he’ll be twice the horse on better ground.”

Breslin and Didham, the manager of Palmerston North nursery Wellfield Lodge, and Morton, the chief executive of the Mad Butcher chain, purchased Leeds for A$30,000 from the Sydney Classic Sale in January last year. The son of former speedy performer I Am Invincible and another colt by Manhattan Rain were bought with a view to the Karaka Ready to Run Sale, but only the latter went through the ring last November.

“Peter broke him in and wouldn’t stop raving about him, then once I’d done a bit of work with him I realised where he was coming from,” Breslin said. “We decided to hang onto him and brought the other guys into the partnership.”

Leeds completed a back-to-back double for Breslin after Ringo had made a winning return in the Wanganui Steel Formers R85 over 1340 metres.

Having his first start since December, the lanky Fastnet Rock gelding made light of his 59-kilogram topweight as Johnathon Parkes brought him down the centre of the track to collar Aldebaran Star and draw clear by three lengths.

The performance was enough to confirm a mid-winter Melbourne campaign targeting the A$150,000 Winter Championship Final at Flemington in early July.

“To be fair he had to win to win well today but now that he has the plan is to take him over in time to run him in a series qualifier on either the 22nd or the 28th of June,” Breslin said. “He’s not a genuine wet tracker but he gets away with it and we’re hoping to strike tracks that aren’t too deep over there.”

In common with Castletown Stakes winner Leeds, Ringo’s ownership includes Peter Gillespie and Mike Morton, along with Wellfield Lodge principal Bill Gleeson and Coolmore’s New Zealand representative Gordon Calder.

“Guys like them are an integral part of my business, so it’s very satisfying to deliver them results like today’s,” Breslin said.