The son of Drama Critic has done more than Kenny Rae ever imagined he could - it is just a matter of what he is capable of in the next months.
The 6yr-old will jump from barrier 2 in tomorrow's $25,000 Waikouaiti Cup, but Rae's one concern is a lack of race fitness.
''He had a couple of weeks off after the Riccarton meeting,'' Rae said at Kurow yesterday.
''He's been with Sandy Cunningham [at Prebbleton, near Christchurch] for a week on the walker then he came back to the stables and he's been working quite good so far.
''He might be one run short, but we've got the Kumara Nuggets, then he's in the Wellington Cup. That could be a bit rich for him but he's in form.''
Rae held no great hopes for Red Ripper two years ago, other than having a horse who might go to rating 65 racing.
''He's gone better than I thought he would - I thought we would get a win or two out of him and he's won five. He's still going.
''Eighteen months ago, he was a maiden in a maiden 1800 and he just struggled to win that. But he's just got better - wet tracks, hard tracks, it doesn't matter.''
Rae said the inside draw will help Red Ripper's natural racing pattern, and he should give punters a sight from in front.
''He's a bold front-runner - if something takes him on in front, good luck to them. He might stop but they'll stop just as quick.''
Flash Hapi lines up in the rating 85 1200m after being consigned to the paddock for good after failing in a hurdle at Te Rapa in September.
''He had been retired but then he was running around [in the paddock],'' Rae said.
''We thought we'd give him one more chance. To be honest, I wouldn't have put him on Majestic [Horse Floats] and paid a lot of money to bring him down but since I brought my own truck down, it hasn't cost me much.''
He will likely need the run, but does get in at the lowest weight of 55kg.
Miss Buffo debuts in the $12,000 Pearl Series for fillies and mares, but has been hampered by a draw of 18, which will become 12 after scratchings.
"She's a pretty quick horse but she's going need to be.''
Rae was equally disheartened by poor draws at Ellerslie on December 28 but he has been around racing enough to know that bad draws aren't complete write-offs.
"The two at Ellerslie, I was all but going to scratch them because they drew the outside and they both won.''
