Loose Sally on song for ANZAC Day feature

Riccarton’s ANZAC Day meeting holds fond memories for Wingatui horseman Shankar Muniandy, and he is hoping he can add to those at the Christchurch track on Saturday.

He will head to Riccarton with his dual stakes winner Loose Sally (NZ) (Turn Me Loose), who was victorious in the Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) at the meeting 12 months ago, and she will compete over the same distance in the Gr.2 Coca-Cola Canterbury Gold Cup.

The daughter of Turn Me Loose has finished unplaced in her last two outings over a mile at Riccarton, but Muniandy said she wasn’t suited by the firm tracks.

“She didn’t really cop the track in her last two starts. They were Good tracks and they ran 1:34 and 1:35 and she is not that type of track horse,” Muniandy said.

Loose Sally will be met by a more suitable surface on Saturday, which was rated a Soft7 on Friday morning.

“A bit of sting out of the ground is the only thing she needs,” Muniandy said. “When she won the Warstep it was a Heavy track as well and a 2000m race, so I am looking forward to tomorrow.”

Loose Sally has won three of her seven starts this season, equalling her three-year-old tally, and Muniandy is hopeful she can better it before heading for a spell following her weekend run.

“I think she is due a break, there is not a lot around for her anyway,” he said.

While he only has the one runner at Riccarton on Saturday, he will have a handful of runners at his home track of Wingatui on Monday, including a trio of debutants.

Middlemarch Man (NZ) (Raise The Flag), Loose Lady (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) and Betterthanever (NZ) (Jon Snow) are set to contest the Property Brokers Ray Kean (1200m), however, with the track rated a Heavy8 and rain forecast over the weekend, Muniandy may save the latter runner for another day.

“Betterthanever is really well, but I don’t think I will start him on a Heavy track from barrier 14, he is pretty smart,” Muninady said.

He has plenty of time for his fellow debutants, who he said will just have the one run before heading out for a spell in preparation for spring racing.

“Middlemarch Man has had two jumpouts and went really well,” Muniandy said. “We are going to give him a run and he will be going out to the paddock after that.

“Loose Lady has won two jumpouts, she is not very big, and she will have one run on her home track and then I might turn her out as well.”

Meanwhile, Muniandy said his brother, jockey Ruvanesh Muniandy, is recovering from a dislocated shoulder he suffered when falling from his mount Perfect Tycoon (NZ) (Rageese) shortly after the jump at Riccarton a fortnight ago.

Perfect Tycoon began to buck shortly after leaving the barriers and went through the running rail, dislodging Ruvanesh Muniandy, resulting in his injury. His brother and employer Shankar Muniandy said he should return to raceday riding in just over a month after he gains medical clearance.

“The horse must have shied at the shadow of the running rail and then ducked in and started bucking,” Shankar Muniandy said. “He has never bucked in his life.

“He (Ruvanesh) has dislocated his shoulder and injured some tendons, and he will be out for about four or five weeks.

“He is resting and he will be going to the physio next week.”