A Melbourne campaign looks likely for Keep The Peace after her brilliant first-up win in the Mudgway Stakes at Hastings on Saturday.Keep The Peace only got home by a nose in the Group One 1400m weight-for-age feature but considering it was her first race in more than four months it confirmed her as top-class.The four-year-old mare's Waikato trainer Shaune Ritchie is still to work out a spring campaign with the horse's owners but is inclined to switch the focus from New Zealand to Melbourne."I wo
A Melbourne campaign looks likely for Keep The Peace after her brilliant first-up win in the Mudgway Stakes at Hastings on Saturday.
Keep The Peace only got home by a nose in the Group One 1400m weight-for-age feature but considering it was her first race in more than four months it confirmed her as top-class.
The four-year-old mare's Waikato trainer Shaune Ritchie is still to work out a spring campaign with the horse's owners but is inclined to switch the focus from New Zealand to Melbourne.
"I would like to think she's up to Melbourne but whether she's up to the very best we won't know until we get over there," Ritchie told NZPA.
Two possible targets are the $3 million weight-for-age Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 23 and the $2.5m Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield a week earlier.
Ritchie's preference is the Caulfield Cup because of the handicap conditions and the fact Keep the Peace would likely dodge the best Australian horses in lead-up racing.
"I'm reluctant to take them on just yet," he said.
"She's still going to be in a reasonable place in the handicap and if that's the case then maybe a race like the Caulfield Cup is more her go - there's plenty of time for weight-for-age races later on."
Keep The Peace, owned by former champion Australian jockey Mick Dittman and Queensland-based New Zealand bloodstock agent Paul Bellingham, has only twice been further back than second in 10 starts.
Ridden by James McDonald, Keep The Peace was given a good run on the inner to trail the leader Mufhasa most of the way and then in the straight set out after Fritzy Boy who had taken the lead before the home turn.
Keep The Peace, the fifth favourite at 10-1, got to the lead inside the final 200m on a track rated slow and stuck to her guns to just hold out the favourite Wall Street who ran home strongly after being in the first five all the way.
There were 1-3/4 lengths to Fritzy Boy in third.
Second favourite Mufhasa compounded to finish 10th and trainer Stephen McKee reported he would be sending the horse for a spell.
Miss Maren, who was fractious in the gates before the start, finished last after getting well back and was found to be lame in a hind leg after the race.
Australian mare Illuminates, backing up after her Sydney win at Warwick Farm win seven days earlier, finished 11th - more than 10 lengths from the winner.
NZPA