Ringo: Fitting the Mould

In it's short history, the Group 2 Couplands Mile has uncovered some serious weight for age talent. Ringo (Fastnet Rock - Akris by Zabeel) a leading contender for this years event has shown in just five career starts that he is developing a similar profile to the likes of Wall Street and Nashville, who both scored their breakthrough win in the Riccarton feature before going onto Group 1 WFA success.

Although to the naked eye in his most recent start, the 1400m rating 75 on the last day of the recent Hawkes Bay Spring Carnival, Ringo looked a tad dour, the rangy four-year-old only ever does what he needs to win and was going away again towards the line. Add the fact he carried clear topweight of 60.5kgs; had not started for five weeks, and the true merit of the performance becomes clearer.

On type Ringo resembles the 2009 Kitt Ormond Spring Classic winner Wall Street at the same age and the similarities don't stop there.

Wall Street first came to prominence during the 2008 Hawkes Bay Spring Carnival winning on all three days before going onto win the Couplands Mile, while Ringo with a bit better luck from the weather gods should conceivably be unbeaten in three starts on the Hastings circuit. A winner over 1600m on Hawkes Bay Cup day earlier this year, he was a gallant second fresh-up over 1400m on the first day of this years carnival on a heavy 10 track.

As far as styles of racing are concerned Ringo has yet to display the same turn of foot as Wall Street and Nashville can produce. Whether this counts against him at Christchurch over 1600m remains to be seen and his best chance of success may lie in him drawing sufficiently well enough to sit close to the speed from where he will be hard to run down with his low weight.

Wall Street developed significantly physically from a four-year-old to a five-year-old when he won the Spring Classic. Ringo will need to do the same if he is to step to the next level of WFA racing.

With natural strengthening Ringo looks a leading contender for next season's Spring Classic. He won't win it running sub 34 last 600ms like Excellent and Princess Coup, neither is he likely to suddenly inherit the push button speed of Jimmy Choux or Cent Home, for he looks more in the tough, relentless combatant mode of a Distinctly Secret or The Message.