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Pitmans eye home synthetic riches
Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • August 4th, 2026 4:09 pm
Third Decree will contest the $75,000 Polytrack Championship (1200m) at Riccarton on Wednesday | Photo: Race Images
Local trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman hold a strong hand heading into the middle day of the Grand National Festival of Racing at Riccarton, where they will be chasing the lucrative prizemoney on offer at the synthetic meeting.
At the top on their hit list is the Polytrack Championship (1200m) where they will be chasing the $75,000 purse on offer with Third Decree and Motiontime.
Third Decree has finished runner-up in her last two starts at the track over the same distance, while Motiontime was victorious on the surface three starts back, and their trainers are hoping for similar showings on Wednesday.
“Third Decree has been very unlucky not to win any one of her last four starts,” Michael Pitman said. “By not winning she gets in reasonably well at the weights. She races well on the poly and we are very happy with her.
“Motiontime won really well (three starts back) and she has just been unlucky.”
Earlier on the card, they will also have a two-pronged attack in the Betavet Natural Solutions Open (2200m) courtesy of Proserve and Star Ballot.
While Proserve has won his last two starts and Star Ballot has finished runner-up, Pitman believes the latter can avenge his last start defeat to his stablemate.
“I think Star Ballot was unlucky not to win his last start, but he hit the line really well,” Pitman said. “He drops significantly in weight for this one. Star Ballot meets Proserve three kilos better off, which I think will swing Star Ballot’s way.
“Both horses have got great records on the poly.”
Pitman is also upbeat about the prospects of Ogun in the Canterbury Equine Clinic Maiden (1200m), Voguish in the Hoteliers Challenge (1600m), and Our Sallyann in the 3F At West Fitzroy Apartments Maiden (1400m).
“Ogun was unlucky not to win the other day. He probably lost a length or two on the turn and ran home strongly,” Pitman said.
“Voguish is a horse we think will go right through to winning open class races. The mile is possibly short enough, but she has had three or four weeks between races.
“And Our Sallyann is due a winning run, she has run a lot of placings this time in.”
Meanwhile, Pitman said track conditions hindered stable newcomer Canheroc’s chances when he beat just three runners home in the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) last Saturday.
“He struggled in the track conditions, the track got quite puggy,” Pitman said. “We are not running him on the last day because of that, we are just going to wait for the tracks to dry up a bit.”
