Fritzy Boy says yes to Ellerslie Derby date

The odds are improving on star Wairarapa three-year-old Fritzy Boy contesting the $700,000 Mercedes New Zealand Derby at the Auckland Racing Club's meeting at Ellerslie on Saturday week.
Opaki trainer Alby MacGregor is delighted with the way Fritzy Boy has come through his southern sojourn which saw him take out the South Island's triple crown by winning the Gore Guineas, Dunedin Guineas and Southland Guineas and says a Derby start will be undertaken providing nothing untoward happens in the meantime.
"Right now we'll be heading north & that's the plan at the moment," MacGregor said yesterday. "We always said the horse would tell us whether it was a goer and he seems as happy as a sandboy."
MacGregor admits even he was surprised at how much Fritzy Boy thrived on his travels and there had been no signs since his return home that he was feeling any ill effects from his excursions there.
"He's eaten up well and he's as keen as ever, you wouldn't think he's even been anywhere," MacGregor said.
At the same time, however, MacGregor readily concedes there are at least a couple of unknown factors regarding Fritzy Boy leading into the Derby.
Firstly he is yet to race beyond 1600m and the Derby is over the staying test of 2400m.
MacGregor was heartened though by the manner in which Fritzy Boy finished off his effort in the Southland Guineas, which was the first time he had been tried over 1600m.
He said the instructions to jockey Brian Hibberd to ride the horse back in the field had been made, in part, with a possible Derby start in mind and Fritzy Boy's powerful finishing spurt gave hope of him seeing out a middle distance.
"It's the old story, you don't really know whether they will stay until you try them," MacGregor said. "All you can do is have them fit and ready, there are never any guarantees. Not many in the Derby will have gone that far before so they are basically in the same boat as us, aren't they?"
The second question mark in MacGregor's mind is how Fritzy Boy will cope with racing the Ellerslie way round which is opposite to what he has experienced in his brief career to date.
Again there have been encouraging signs though with the youngster showing no aversions to the right handed way of going in track gallops at Opaki.
"He usually goes the Ellerslie way twice a week and we'll give him some fast work that way round tomorrow morning," MacGregor said. "He's a sensible enough horse so I don't really see it being a problem."
Just what the future holds for Fritzy Boy after the Derby is something MacGregor and Greytown breeder John Jury, who own him in partnership, have yet to decide but one thing does seem sure, money won't buy him.
There have been a number of inquiries from possible buyers but MacGregor and Jury say they have been having so much fun racing such a talented youngster they "very definitely" don't have any intentions of parting with him.