Riding high again

By Adam Hamilton

BUZZ Victorian pacer Ride High has been installed opening Victoria Cup favourite as he prepares for a second-up run at Melton on Saturday night.

Such was the breathtaking nature of his first-up win, Ride High is a clear $3 favourite for the $300,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup (2240m) at Melton on October 10.

Chariots Of Fire winner and Miracle Mile runner-up Lochinvar Art is $5 second elect ahead of Hunter Cup and Miracle Mile winner King Of Swing at $7.

More immediately, Ride High is $1.15 favourite to make it 12 wins from just 13 starts when he starts from gate five in the Melton City Council Sprint (1720m) at Melton Saturday.

First-up he led and scorched home the fastest official last half ever clocked at Melton – 52.7sec – to win by 28.9m at Melton two weeks ago.

It was his first run since having a breathing-related throat operation last December.

“He’s come on really well since the first-up win and should only keep getting better with the racing,” co-trainer Clayton Tonkin said.

Kima Frenning, who now works for Tonkin and Emma Stewart and has assumed most of the stable driving, takes the reins again on Ride High.

After his first-up win, which was the first time she’d driven Ride High in a race, Frenning beamed: “That was just ridiculous. How easy he did that, how good he is. Still untapped, that was pretty cool.”

Co-trainer Emma Stewart declared Ride High was the best horse in Australia.

The Victoria Cup will really take shape in coming weeks with Alta Orlando set to resume at Menangle on Saturday week and King Of Swing only about 2-3 weeks away.

Lochinvar Art is also back in work and trainer-driver David Moran said: “He didn’t have long out and he’s so athletic, he’ll come to hand pretty quickly.”