Rising Tide back to his best at Awapuni Sat, 07 Jul 2012

Rising Tide maintained his impressive winning strike rate when he dug deep to triumph over the open class stayers on his home track this afternoon.

Trained at Awapuni by Mark Oulaghan, the Shinko King five-year-old finished resolutely to claim the Rayner Building/P.J. Rayner Decorating Handicap and record the sixth victory of his 19-start career.

Rising Tide was making the fourth appearance of his current campaign after a first-up fourth in the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup, a respectable seventh in the Listed Ag Challenge Stakes and was again fourth when he moved up to a middle distance last month.

“He had those two mile runs in reasonably good fields and I thought he was pretty right after those,” Oulaghan said. “He then raced as though he needed that last run and he wasn’t quite as forward as I thought he was, but he went ahead after that.”

Rising Tide was settled at the back of the field by Lisa Allpress and saved ground by cutting the corner into the straight. They battled strongly to the post to hold off the challenge of Waitaha Toa, whose effort augured well for his upcoming hurdling assignments, and the early pacemaker Belfast Lad.

“He’s a winter handicapper so he’ll run in the Parliamentary at Trentham next Saturday,” said Oulaghan, who has all but ruled out a trip to Riccarton for the gelding. “The main race down there is the Winter Cup and the mile is probably a bit sharp for him now so we’ll look around for something else.”

One trainer who will have a southern trip firmly in mind is Bryce Revell following the return to top form of I Am Sam in the Evans Henderson Woodbridge Handicap.

With the blinkers on and a full claim from rider Miranda Dravitzki, the Al Akbar gelding stayed on strongly in the straight to beat King Victor.

I Am Sam holds a nomination for the Gr.3 Estaronline Winter Cup and today’s performance will now give connections encouragement to plan ahead for the Riccarton feature on August 4.