After coming within a long neck of a Group One win with Jennifer Eccles, New Zealand trainer Shaune Ritchie will turn his attention to the longest flat race in Australasia.
Jennifer Eccles finished second to the Tony Pike-trained Loire in Saturday’s Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.
Ritchie is now switching focus to Warrnambool in Victoria and the $300,000 Jericho Cup (4600m) on December 1 with Where Are You who will travel to Australia with the Neil O’Dowd-trained Aigne who beat him over 3210m at New Plymouth in September.
The Jericho Cup is the brainchild of Victorian philanthropist and amateur war historian Bill Gibbins and was first run last year to commemorate the centenary of a race run in the Palestine desert in World War I.
The race, restricted to Australian and New Zealand-bred horses, was won last year by the Anthony Freedman-trained High Mode.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Ritchie told NZ Racing Desk.
“Where Are You hasn’t the class for an Auckland or Wellington Cup but she stays. We’ll find out how far she will get.
“It’ll be a real test going 4600 metres, but she’d never get a chance to run for that money here.”
The six-year-old by Ekraar out of Novice Mistress confirmed her place with victory over 2400m at Ellerslie earlier this month with Aigne ballot exempt courtesy of the New Plymouth win.
The Barbara Joseph-trained Ten Tigers also earned a spot in the Jericho Cup with victory in the Road To Jericho at Canberra on Sunday over 3400m, the longest race run at the track.
