Racing: Champion jockey chooses to go his own way in Classic

Pearl Of Alsace is the second-favourite for next week’s $400,000 Livamol Classic at Hastings.

Champion jockey Michael McNab and the TAB bookies obviously view next week’s $400,000 Livamol Classic at Hastings very differently.

Because when McNab had his choice of rides in the Group 1, he chose to go with $10 futures market chance Ladies Man rather than the clear second-favourite Pearl Of Alsace.

Pearl Of Alsace moved into $4.60 second favouritism for the Livamol after a hard-fought win at Te Rapa last Friday with two-time Premiership winner McNab in the saddle.

Co-trainer Shaune Ritchie was hoping to secure his services again for the Livamol but with McNab choosing to ride stayer Ladies Man, Sam Weatherley has been the big winner in securing the Pearl Of Alsace ride.

Mustang Valley heads Livamol betting at $2.60 after her easy win in last Saturday’s Arrowfield Stud Plate.

Ritchie says he was surprised McNab committed to Ladies Man, “but that is not to say they can’t beat us home. ... And we are very happy to have Sam on.”

While Pearl Of Alsace had looked likely to win by much more than her nose margin in a moderate open handicap on Friday, Ritchie says that may have been his fault.

“She was very ready to go when she finished second on debut so when she came home after that, we went quite easy on her. So she will improve with that run and we can screw her right down for the Group 1 next week.”

Pearl Of Alsace, who races in Pencarrow Stud’s famous blue and white colours, has had six wins from just eight starts, her only unplaced performance coming behind Belclare and Skew Wiff in the NZ Breeders Stakes at Pukekohe in April. She actually beat home Mustang Valley that day, albeit when the latter performed well below her best.

While all six of Pearl Of Alsace’s wins have come on soft or heavy tracks, Ritchie is hoping for a good track at Hastings. “For two reasons. The first one is I am sure this mare will be better on top of the ground, but secondly, a heavy track suits Mustang Valley so, well, I am not sure we can beat her on one.”

Mustang Valley would be using the Livamol as a trial for the A$5million Cox Plate at The Valley on October 28.

“If she wins I’d love her to have a crack at the Cox Plate, it’s my favourite race,” managing owner Rodney Schick told the Weigh In TV show.

Another who could head to Melbourne if he runs well in the Livamol is Ladies Man. Trainer Allan Sharrock says if he can finish top three in the Livamol, his owners are keen to try to get him into the Melbourne Cup.

“If he goes good enough, we are a chance of going to Melbourne and trying to get into the Cup through the last qualifying race on Derby Day,” says Sharrock. “If we don’t go to Melbourne then the New Zealand Cup [November 18] is his back-up plan.”

Meanwhile, trainer Graeme Rogerson says he won’t have the full results of veterinary tests conducted on Arrowfield flop Sharp N Smart until today.

“The vet spent nearly two hours with him today and the one thing we know already is he has no issues with his heart,” says Rogerson. “He is a happy horse, bouncing all over the place so we really won’t have much more idea of what happens next until I speak to the vet ... and we have all the results.”

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