The fruits of Joe Pace’s latest New Zealand shopping spree will be on show at Melton on Saturday night.
The Harkness-based horseman, who only turned full-time training nine years ago, has enjoyed plenty of success with Kiwi imports like Supreme Dominator, Rock N Roll Chapel, along with current pair Harry Stamper and Justalittlesip.
Pace added three more youngsters from the Auckland and Christchurch yearling sales last year and two of them – the exciting Vivid Dream and unraced Bettor Punter – tackle the feature race, the Sapling Stakes, at Melton on Saturday night.
Judging by Vivid Dream’s breathtaking last-to-first debut win at Geelong last Friday, he will be one of the key players.
“He’s the most advanced, natural two-year-old of the three we bought for sure,” Pace said.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s taken time and patience to get him here, but he’s pretty much a complete package now.
“That speed you saw at Geelong that excited everyone has always been there, but we’ve spent lots of time getting him to relax and use it when we want him to, not when he wants to.
“That’s why he’s only now got to the races so late in the season.
“We’ve held back his speed and babied him, but it’s all come together and Adrian (Pace’s son and driver) said he switched on and off well when he wanted him to at Geelong, which was the most pleasing part.
“Adrian is a patient driver and suits him the horse at this early stage of his career. He gave a bit of a heart attack at Geelong when he wanted so long (to make his run), but Adrian said he was bolting and always had them covered.
“It’s a step-up against a few nice ones, including Letsstartinheaven and Kitzbuhel Delight, this time, but he’s got the talent to go with them and it’s really just another stepping stone for him.
“He’ll have this run and then four to six weeks out and we’ll get him ready for the NSW Derby at Menangle early next year.”
In contrast, Pace said Bettor Punter, a half-brother to former star pacer Ohoka Punter (27 wins and almost $1.2 million in prize money), will need the experience despite drawing the pole.
“He won a Melton trial and then went well when second in a Geelong trial when he did a couple of things wrong at Geelong on Monday night,” Pace said.
“He’ll make a lovely horse, but still green and a work in progress. These early races are educational for him, but I think he’ll be in the better races come mid to late next year,” he said.
Pace thinks similarly of his third purchase, a son of megastar sire Captaintreacherous.
“He’s got a motor, but he’s huge … about 16.5 hands,” he said. “He wanted to trot early, but I wasn’t having that so we’ve kept working on him slowly and steadily.
“He’s from the family of star horses like Franco Hattrick and France Enforce and Barry Purdon (champion Kiwi trainer) said the breed don’t come together until they’re three, so we’ll give him all the time he needs.”
Pace’s stable star, classy trotter Harry Stamper, showed he was ready for a racetrack return with a strong Geelong trial on Monday night.
“We gave him a break after (the) Brisbane (Inter Dominion) because his campaign derailed with foot problems,” he said. “He’s back on target now and there’s a standing-start handicap race for him at Melton soon (September 27) before we look at the big races again.”
Picture: Courtesy Ian Woolridge
