Racing: Octapussy beats barrier blues

Matamata co-trainers Graham Richardson and Mark Donoghue earned every cent of their cut from Octapussy's Taupo Cup win yesterday.

Octapussy is what Donoghue politely refers to as a barrier rogue, which made for a stressful few minutes through the binoculars as two nearby rivals went mental in the starting gates.

Il Cognoscenti and stablemate Azapak were late scratched but not before causing Octapussy and the favourite Vanessatheundressa to also become unsettled.

"That wasn't the sort of preparation you like to see before they jump," said Donoghue.

"Actually it was very unlike her to jump around like that in her starting gate.

"Usually she's a perfect lady until the gate opens. Then she rears up and that's it."

Just as in the Gasmate Stakes at Te Rapa on December 11 when she lost so much ground at the jump it took her half the race to catch the field.

"You can't be giving a horse like Calveen a 20-length head-start," said Donoghue.

Donoghue is hopeful yesterday's impressive win for Leith Innes proves the exciting five-year-old has overcome those problems.

"She could develop into a cup type - I don't think a mile and a half will be a problem for her."

Vanessatheundressa, who was on trial for the Wellington Cup yesterday, jumped only fairly, couldn't wrestle the lead from Rogue King and faded quickly.

Only Envoy emerged from the weekend's country cups as a remote Trentham hope.

He ran home strongly for second to Thames upsetter Ruff Diamond, convincing trainer Ken Kelso he was worth a shot at the $250,000 feature on January 29.

Trainer Jim McConnell, who also won the Thames Cup with Zainagain in 1998, said Ruff Diamond has now earned a spell.

"Winning the Thames Cup is a big thing to the locals and it's something special to win it twice," said McConnell, the Thames secretary.

McConnell races Ruff Diamond with buddy Lindsay Goudie who retired on Friday from his job of 21 years at the Thames abattoir.

Goudie bought Ruff Diamond unseen a couple of years ago for just $6000 and gave a half-share to McConnell to train her.

Saturday's victory was a career highlight for rider Julia Ritchie, who has been the mare's regular pilot since a victory the first time they met last spring.