Ritza Rossi, the Wentworth Park warrior, has been retired.
Trained by Mark Gatt for owners Chris Nutt and Shaun Evans, Ritza Rossi contested 134 races for 26 wins, 29 seconds and 24 thirds, earning $160,000.
But it is his Wentworth Park record which is truly remarkable, as he faced the starter there on what must surely be a record 108 occasions for 18 wins, 24 seconds and 22 thirds.
"The only big race he won was the 2015 Bankstown City Cup at Potts Park but he was a wonderful campaigner who gave the punters a run for their money every time he stepped out onto the track,'' Chris Nutt said.
"He was such a tenacious chaser, I can't ever recall him running a bad race.''
xxxx
Burning Fuel is unlikely to contest next month's National Sprint Championship heats at Wentworth Park despite her fastest time of the meeting performance there last Wednesday night.
Burning Fuel took her record to nine wins from a dozen starts when she took the lead on the back straight before roaring away to take out a 520m fifth grade by seven lengths.
Her time, an extra smart 29.92sec, included slick sectional figures of 5.45 and 13.92 but trainer Mark Wilcox's plans for Burning Fuel do not include the Nationals at this stage.
"The race I have in mind for Burning Fuel is the Group 2 Shepparton Cup,'' Wilcox said.
Heats of the 450m Cup will be run on August 13 with the $47,000 to the winner final five night later.
It's no surprise Wilcox is heading to Shepparton as Burning Fuel has won eight of her nine races at Bulli and Maitland, all in brilliant fashion.
She made her debut over 400m at Bulli, winning in 22.46, sensational time for a previously unraced maiden, and has since posted near record figures of 26.12 for the 472m trip there and 24.95 in scoring over 450m at Maitland.
Shepparton is a roomy one-turn circuit built in the mould of the Maitland and Bulli courses so Burning Fuel should feel right at home on the Victorian track.
xxxx
Bugatti Reign gave Jacqueline Davis her biggest success as an owner-trainer with his gritty win in Wednesday night's Taylor Family & Clarence Valley Sheds Maiden Classic at Grafton.
Bugatti Reign made full use of his box one draw, beginning fast and showing great determination to hold out Nangar Fever in the charge for the early lead.
He then retained the role of pacemaker all the way, winning clearly from Nangar Fever's kennelmate Nangar Phantom.
Nangar Phantom's trainer Dennis Barnes was chasing a hat-trick of wins as he had taken out the Grafton classic in 2016 and 2017 with Nangar Range and Nangar Warrior.
Jacqueline Davis, whose mother Pat trained Little Fresh, winner of the 1977 group 1 National Futurity, bred Bugatti Flash from her fine producer Bugatti Flyer.
Bugatti Reign is from a repeat mating of Bugatti Flyer to Barcia Bale, with the previous litter yielding the group 1 winning Raw Ability, who has so far earned $248,000 through winning 20 of just 41 races.
