Caulfield Cup Ambitions for NZB Ready to Run Graduate

The highly consistent and multiple stakes winning NZB Ready to Run Sale graduate Folding Gear (NZ) is back in work as he gears up for the spring and a shot at the A$2.6 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).

Trained by Lee and Shannon Hope, Folding Gear (Johar x Royal Show) won the third Group race of his 19 start career in the spring last year when taking the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes, a race that earned him a spot in the 2012 Caulfield Cup where he finished just three lengths from the winner, the high class Dunaden.

Folding Gear (NZ) wins the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes last year

Hope is impressed with how the rising six-year-old has continued to develop and mature and is confident given the form around Folding Gear who finished a close second to Jet Away at his last start in the Group 3 Easter Cup in March.  

“He looks good, but he’s still got to come up,” commented Hope. “He’s got to find two or three lengths, but I think he can as he’s a good, tough horse. The Caulfield Cup last year was the hardest one in years.”

Folding Gear kicked off his 2012 spring campaign in early August at Flemington though no fresh up target has been announced for his upcoming spring campaign.

The son of Johar was successfully pinhooked from the 2009 Karaka Select Sale where he was purchased by Paul Duncan from Chequers Stud for $30,000.

He was then purchased by Lee Hope from Esker Lodge at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2009 Ready to Run Sale for $50,000. Raced by Mr K J Beck, Folding Gear has won four of his 19 races – three at Group level – and placed on a further five occasions for A$460,853. 

The Hope’s enjoyed further success this season with NZB Ready to Run Sale graduates with their four-year-old Total Pursuit (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) who won at Sandown on Wednesday last week.

The son of Bachelor Duke has been racing well having run second in three of his four starts leading into last Wednesday’s race where he claimed the third win of his career.

Total Pursuit was purchased by Lee Hope from Venture Thoroughbreds at NZB’s 2010 Ready to Run Sale for $80,000.