Racing: Blue Breeze shrugs off blues to face Counties Cup first-up

Blue Breeze will contest the Counties Cup (2100m) at Pukekohe on Saturday. Photo / Trish Dunell

Blue Breeze would have suited a blue rinse earlier this spring with the way he performed in Australia, according to trainer Allan Morley.

The group one performer tailed home the field in each of his two starts in New South Wales and Morley said he couldn't find anything amiss with his stable star after the runs.

"He was very disappointing in Australia. He seemed to me like when you take your grandmother away for a nice weekend and all she wants to do is go home," he quipped.

"But the thing about it was he stopped so badly in the straight each time. We have done a lot of tests and checked his bloods and heart, and sent those reports to the stipes. We have done everything we are supposed to."

The six-year-old gelding has thrived since his return home and Morley said his sub-par performance remains a mystery.

"He has looked a million dollars since he has been home and he has been working the house down, probably better than he ever has.

"He spent about 10 days in the paddock when he got home, but he likes to be around the stables, so we don't tend to send him away much when he spells.

"He likes coming in and seeing the grandkids, he's such a cool horse."

The son of Bullbars had a pleasing season last term, placing in the group three Counties Cup (2100m) before finishing runner-up in the group three Avondale Cup (2400m) and running third in the group one Auckland Cup (3200m).

Morley is keen to follow a similar path this season, with Blue Breeze's first assignment being Saturday's Ssangyong Counties Cup.

Although pleased with the way Blue Breeze has been in the lead-up to Saturday, Morley admits he is uncharacteristically nervous ahead of the Counties feature.

"I don't usually get nervous before races but this time I am a bit nervous because he went so badly in Australia and we couldn't really find out 100 per cent why," he said.

"My expectations are lowered a bit because he is not a very big horse and he is going to have to carry some weight, which is always a bit of a worry with him because he only weighs about 460 kilos.

"He doesn't want to be carrying any more than 55 or 56 kilos and it looks from the nominations that he will have to carry more than that."

Morley took some confidence out of Blue Breeze's recent 1200m trial at Avondale and maintains his belief that he is a better horse compared to last year.

"I think he is pretty close to being ready, but we would have liked to have had a race or two into him before the Counties Cup, but that's just how it is," he said.

"I am as happy as I can be with him at this stage, with a couple of asterisks alongside it, but I think he is a better horse this year."

While Morley is eyeing a return to the group three Waikato Cup (2400m) at Te Rapa next month, he said he will take a wait and see approach after Saturday's assignment.

"We might go back to Waikato, he doesn't go quite as good the other way around, but when you have a horse like him it becomes very hard to find a race for them," he said.

- NZ Racing Desk