Racing
Rain, rain stay away
Co-trainer Gordon Richards is hoping the rain stays away from the upcoming Morphettville Parks meeting.
The Morphettville based team of Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle have a back-up plan should the predicted rain arrive on the weekend.
The pair has Tapinforpar scheduled to run in The Dominant Advantage Handicap (1400m) at Morphettville Parks on Saturday, but Richards does not like the look of what the weather has in store.
If the predicted rain does eventuate, Richards said Tapinforpar was likely to be reserved for the Murray Bridge meeting on Saturday week.
Currently though the planning is all about Saturday and Richards said Tapinforpar was in good order heading to the 1400m contest.
"This prep has been really good," Richards said.
"He won first-up over 1200 (metres) at Gawler and then I thought he was caught in the wrong part of track second up and it could have been a bit of the 'old' second-up syndrome as well, but he didn't get beaten very far.
"He ran well the other day, but being a big horse, he had trouble negotiating through the field and then he dived late."
Richards conceded Tapiforpar was possibly better suited on the roomier Morphettville track than the Parks circuit, but he has a liking for the 1400m trip.
"We've got him out over a mile a couple of times and he tends to over-race early and then doesn't have the finish," Richards said.
"The only place they have 1400-metre races is at Murray Bridge or the inner track here at Morphettville.
"Murray Bridge is alright, he has raced well up there before, and our intentions were if he didn't draw a barrier this week, we would go to the Bridge next week.
"He's drawn a good barrier, but having said that, I don't know what's going to happen with the rain.
"It might throw everyone's plans into confusion."
By Richards' own admission, Tapinforpar had a below-par campaign last campaign which the trainer based on wet tracks.
But this campaign Tapinforpar is back to his old consistent self but needs to get another win on the board to shoot past the $300,000 in prize money mark.
Richards has also stuck with Connor Murtagh who rode the gelding for the first time last time out.
"He's consistent, but you seem to go up in the ratings when you run seconds or thirds without getting a picture on the wall," Richards said.
"We've stuck with Connor because he rode him well the other day and the horse seemed to respond to him and he's learned a bit about the horse also.
"We're hoping that will pay a dividend."
Check out our FREE full form, ratings for meetings in nine countries each and every day.