The unheralded Riocetto broke his maiden in style when he relished the heavy conditions to romp home with Saturday’s Listed Fernhill Handicap at Randwick.
Beaten at the provincials and in midweek grade at his only other starts, Riocetto was sent out one of the outsiders of the field at $21.
Riocetto - Photo by Steve Hart
But he had the 1600m contest well within his keeping halfway up the straight when he shot to the front for jockey Corey Brown and easily held the late closers at the finish.
“Obviously he’d only had the two previous runs and he’d been thereabouts but he got to his home track here today and absolutely swam,” Brown said.
“He felt the winner 600 from home when he started to track up. He got a little bit green and ran out around the home turn but once he got balanced up in the straight and I gave him one around the tail he really went well.”
Co-trainer Neville Voigt said the youngster had shown promise at home and was quietly confident he could improve on the wet track given he was out of a Canny Lady mare.
“The only thing I said to (Brown) was to give him a chance, with the Canny Lad (influence) he should love the wet,” Voigt said.
“He ran home very well at Randwick last start and the further the better for him.”
Voigt was unsure of immediate plans for Riocetto but said a winter carnival trip to Queensland was a possibility.
Riocetto scored by almost five lengths over Fuerza ($7.50) with another 1-3/4 lengths to Gracious Prospect ($7.50).
Brown said the heavy conditions were taking their toll on many runners.
“It’s very tough. They’re labouring quite noticeably on it,” he said.
