The change of ownership and trainer for RUDDOCK (Written Tycoon-Nakaaya) has coincided with a stunning form reversal.
The well-bred 3YO, formerly trained in his younger days by Kris Lees, failed to run a place in two starts before being off-loaded.
As a yearling he cost $500,000.
Sold as a 3YO and gelded, then sent to new trainer Annabel Neasham, he has continued to thrive and improve as a racehorse, with his runaway win at Gosford today testament to all that.
For Neasham, Ruddock has started four times for a pair of wins and a pair of 2nd placings. And today was emphatic after apprentice Louise Day elected to fire him out of the gates from his wide draw, cross the field, find the fence, steady them up, then just let him go bang.
Which is exactly what happened.
“It was always the plan to press forward,” explained stable rep Kyle Ryan after the race.
“We thought he might have to use up some gas from there, but in reality it couldn’t have been much easier. Louise did the right thing to go at the 600m and get them off the bit.”
And after that, Ruddock gapped them being nearly five lengths clear as they turned and winning by nearly three, eased down from the fast-finishing COMMAND KING (Epaulette-Watabout) who came from last after dwelling at the start. His run was commendable. Back in third, a long way from the winner, was the mare SALAMANGKERA (Fighting Sun-Juste Abitofmagic).
But while we rightly applaud the feats of the winner who is on a major upwards curve, and the ride of Day which was outstanding, what about Annabel Neasham the trainer.
In Ruddock, she’s just saddled her 19th runner as a trainer and now has 8 winners. That is astonishing.
