Buxted First Stakes Winner For Pritchard-Gordon

Saturday, 15 September 2012 05:38

Buxted (inside) Fights Off Fictional AccountSam Pritchard-Gordon landed his first stakes winner in the JRA Plate at Moonee Valley this afternoon, just a year after first taking out his trainer's license.

"I got my license this time last year", said Pritchard-Gordon who said he now had 15 horses in work.

Buxted ($3.50-$4.40-$4.00) sustained a long run to win by a head from Fictional Account (Chad Schofield) ($13-$26) with a half length to third placed Red Eye Special ($21-$26) which made a gallant attempt to lead all the way under Darren Gauci.

Warm favourite Tanby was anchored by his big weight of 58.5 kg and not helped by being left at the tail of the field for too long by Steven King. He ground home for fourth but the leaders were too quick for him.

Today's race was arguably won by a superb ride from Craig Newitt who had a chance to work out Buxted when he rode him into fifth place at Flemington last week behind Excluded over an unsuitable 2000 metres.

Sam Pritchard-Gordon"The ride really won the race", Pritchard-Gordon said.

"He took it up to Tanby there and 4.5 kilos, that's really made the difference."

"Smart ride."

Newitt sensed that the speed had slackened at the 1300 metre mark and made what proved to be a winning move.

"I rode him the other day and he was a bit one batted but on the line he was pretty solid", Newitt observed.

"I thought I'd ride him a bit forward today but he stepped a bit slow and there was good speed early."

"At the 1300 I came out and crept into the race", he said.

"I knew he could sustain an 800 or 900 metre run so I just kept at him."

"He lacks class but he's got a great set of lungs on him and a great motor and he could run all day for you."

Formerly racing manager for Lee Freedman, Pritchard-Gordon was understandably delighted with the win of Buxted, which he picked out of a horses in training sale in England for 60,000 guineas.

Buxted Wins"The owners followed the horse and tried to buy him after he won his first three races", Pritchard-Gordon explained.

Buxted was trained by Robert Mills at Epsom and had issues according to Pritchard-Gordon who observed that he'd had his first start as a four year old.

"He's very dour", Pritchard-Gordon said.

"Any horse that his first ever start is over 2400 pretty well tells the story as to where it fits into the picture."

"He lacks the brilliance and a true bit of class but the horse will run home as hard as ever and he's very genuine."

The trainer now has the task of plotting a course through the Spring staying races for the son of Dynaformer, also the sire of Americain.

"We might have a go at the Metropolitan in Sydney though he probably doesn't have the class for it", Pritchard-Gordon said.

"He can stay so we might go for the Bart Cummings."

Not the soundest horse, Pritchard-Gordon has entered Buxted for the Melbourne Cup for which he is a lightweight hope.

Buxted"He has a multitude of issues, mainly to do with his feet."

"I've got him entered in the Cup because he runs two miles."

"Half of those in the Cup can't stay the two miles."

Buxted also rates favourably compared to other imports purchased by clients of the Chris Waller and Gai Waterhouse stables.

"Out of all the horses like Glencadam Gold and the ones that Gai bought it had the highest official rating", Pritchard-Gordon said.

"He's got form around Manighar and horses like that."

Although Buxted won a Listed race in England early in his career this run did not meet the Melbourne Cup ballot conditions

Racing Victoria General Manager Racing Greg Carpenter explained that the win was two and a half years ago, which excluded it from consideration.

"However he did run third in the Jockey Club Cup which reinstated his ballot status", Carpenter said.

Today's win will do little to move Buxted up the Melbourne Cup weight scale, with the weights due to be released on Tuesday, according to Carpenter.

"He will need to win something more or rely on attrition to get into the field the way things are at present", he confirmed.

Photos: Quentin Lang