Anything Goes for Anything Goes in the spring -including the New Zealand Cup in November.
The highly promising American Ideal gelding such an impressive winner in his debut for Purdon Racing in March,has been in work for some time.He will be at the trials soon and will be ready for early spring racing.
“It’s just a matter of keeping our options open” Nathan said
“We think he is up to a race like the Cup ok but we want the time for him to show us he can hold his own in that company and have him really prepared for it if it is the case. I don’t doubt he will prove he is capable of mixing it with the best”
Anything Goes was bought out of the Steve Dolan stable by the Mark Hanover/Gordon Banks partnership, along with Ken Jacobs, in the autumn, He had already created a buzz early on and it became a big buzz by the time he had posted an impressive G2 victory in the Superstars in 3.10.4 for the 2600 after which he was sold and joined Purdon Racing-with his regular driver, Devon Van Til, joining the stable about the same time. So there was one familiar face for the five year old when he arrived at Rolleston.
He had not made his debut until a September 4yo and and after a 2nd up second to Krug (off a handicap) he was set for the $50,000 Sales Race at Kaikoura and ran a big race for one of his experience for third
Natalie drove him when he scored a dashing victory in the Uncut Gems, his debut appearance for the new stable and new owners after which he headed for a break.
So where has such a talented five year old been hiding for so long ?
“Steve has done a great job with him. It’s really been a matter of patience and time” Nathan said
“He was a bit of a handful I understand. Ran off the track and generally could be difficult but Steve just persevered over quite a lot of time and and it worked. A good job they did.He’s been no problem here and the move to a bigger stable hasn’t fazed him.He is thriving.”
“He is a horse with a lot of bottom to him. That’s why we are confident he’s going to measure up when he gets among the big boys”
Anything Goes appears to have a little to do to qualify for the Cup though qualification has been a movable feast in recent years as exports hit the numbers of older horses on hand.
He has won 7 of 16 and holds a Rating of 72 but that is likely to be raised at short notice and certainly well before Cup time.
His initial target will be the Maurice Holmes Vase on August 25 with a list of “Road to the Cup” features available for him to prove himself before the hoped for big day.
The two most familiar NZ Cup runner in his family have been Roman Gladiator and Tactician the latter the first to break two minutes for the mile under race conditions, a feat he achieved in 1957. He was officially credited with running a 400m in 26 at Addington, a sensation at the time.
He was a 4 year old when he began his long career which included a (then) record number of NZ Cup appearances.
So it looks all go for Anything Goes -with an exciting spring now nearly in the air.