MANAWATU - Trainer Wayne Herbert has three good reasons to look forward to the spring 3-year-old races.
Two of the reasons for Herbert's optimism - Camacho and Tit For Taat - were on show in the Ryder Stakes at Otaki yesterday and the third, Ray's Stripe, ran at the Waverley trials on Tuesday.
Herbert rates the unraced Ray's Stripe in the same class as Camacho and Tit For Taat, an assessment which carries some weight after the Ryder result.
Herbert dominated the $20,000 listed stakes event for 2-year-olds, producing Camacho and Tit For Taat to run first and third respectively.
The stablemates were split by Takanini-trained gelding On Vacance with North City Express fourth. Danasia, a $3 favourite, was never travelling well and finished 11th.
Camacho is unbeaten in two starts for Herbert.
The Maroof colt had one start for Cambridge trainer Richard Dee in the spring before being transferred to Herbert this year.
He made his central districts' debut with an easy win at Wanganui at Queen's Birthday weekend on June 3 and the Ryder was his first start since then.
"He's pretty smart and the track suited him," Herbert said after yesterday's race.
"He and Tit For Taat work together a lot and Camacho handles a wet track a lot better."
Herbert, however, is not convinced that Camacho is solely a wet tracker.
"We haven't seen much of him on good ground but there's no reason why he shouldn't handle better tracks. But he might need more ground on good tracks.
"But it's nice to have a horse who has got speed and can also handle wet tracks."
Camacho and Tit For Taat will now both head for the $25,000 Wanganui Guineas (1320m) on September 2 and, all going well, will move on to richer 3-year-old races.
"We all have the same targets for the 3-year-olds don't we?" Herbert said.
"But they are two pretty promising young fellows."
Camacho, who was ridden by Jim Walker, is raced by his Taihape breeder John Powell.
Powell has a good strike rate with horses from the Herbert stable. Others he has raced include Jollypha, Gimmee Room and San Ysabeel.
San Ysabeel, a Zabeel half-sister to Camacho, won for Herbert last spring but is now trained in Victoria by Colin Alderson.
Powell bred Camacho and San Ysabeel in partnership with John Comber. The partners paid $12,500 for the dam - the Northjet mare In Margaritaville - in foal to Super Imposing at a Trelawney Stud dispersal sale.
In Margaritaville, who earlier left the smart filly Venezuela, has since left a rising 2-year-old sister to Camacho and is in foal to Green Perfume.
Camacho was always prominent yesterday though he looked to be losing ground at the 600m.
"He pulled for about 400m and he just got a bit lazy when he came off the bit," Walker said.
"He's a gutsy horse and I was quite confident he would win half-way down the straight."
Tit For Taat set the pace but did not help himself by hanging.
"He was hanging out the whole way and it made it very difficult," rider Robert Hannam said.
Rider Jim Collett said Danasia was never going well.
"She didn't handle the ground and she still lacks experience."
- NZPA
Racing: Threesome give trainer reason to relish spring
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