Racing: Showcause goes for a spell before possible Australian trip

They had to be good to come from behind the leading group to win at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Showcause proved he was good in the extreme.

The horse that looked a real winning chance pre-raceday appeared to have minimal appeal when you worked the pattern of the day out to be on-pace and close to the inside rail.

Additionally, the footing was a little gluey, shortening up the long-striders and Showcause lacked experience.

He put all that behind him to win handsomely, if narrowly.

It was an excellent backup to Showcause's staying maiden win on the course two weeks earlier.

Trainer Frank Ritchie, at Manawatu for Sires Stakes Day on that occasion, declared he would be spelling the horse immediately.

The large syndicate of owners in the $200,000 yearling, he declared, would be wanting to take the horse to Australia.

"I have to admit that in the end it was me that wanted to add this one more race because he'd done so well," Ritchie said in the Ellerslie birdcage on Saturday.

It looked a bad decision when Showcause was floundering in mid-field at the 500m, but he showed his class to rally bravely, despite looking uncomfortable in the conditions to fight off Electronic Socks in a tight finish.

"That's it, he's definitely going to the spelling paddock now."

If Showcause is trying to establish his career, you could say Sphenophyta is resurrecting his.

Sphenophyta turned in the performance of the day to lump 60kg in the VRC Quality in his first start in 20 months on a rain-affected track he hated. He came from last on the home turn to be beaten a short head by the favourite, Al Qurhah.

Now back at his original home at the Otto stable in Te Awamutu, Sphenophyta did good service for Lee Freedman's stable in Melbourne, winning the Turnbull Stakes before going completely off the boil.

"They thought he had a heart problem, but his main issue was losing all the muscle down one side of his hindquarters," said Richard Otto, who along with a racing partner still owns 40 per cent of the horse.

Rider Craig Grylls was shaking his head afterwards.

"What a good horse he is. He didn't like that ground at all, but he kept giving it everything. We'd have won in one more stride."

Otto said if everything holds in place he'd like to aim Sphenophyta at the Doomben Cup.