Hawkes Bay Racing Column 24 Jan 2020

Tuppence could bring HB pair a change of fortune

(By John Jenkins)

   Hawke’s Bay friends Craig Harvey and Duncan MacLean have never really reaped the rewards from several good horses they have bred but the tide may have finally turned for the pair.

   They are the breeders and co-owners of Tuppence, who scored an impressive maiden win over 1600m at New Plymouth on Thursday of last week and who looks destined for much better things.

   The three-year-old Pentire filly was ridden by boom apprentice jockey Kozzi Asano and began quickly from a midfield barrier to sit outside the leader in the early stages. She went to the front rounding the home turn and kept up a strong run to the line to win by a long neck from Reliable Miss, with 1-1/4 lengths back to third placed Capital Gains.

   Waipawa-based Craig Harvey and Duncan MacLean, who lives in Elsthorpe, bred Tuppence in partnership with Australian-based Tim Morris.

   The filly is out of the Pompeii Court mare Pennies In Heaven, who won five races and was one of the last foals produced by that great sire.

   Tim Morris decided to relinquish his shareholding in both Pennies In Heaven and Tuppence and so Harvey and MacLean now race the latter in partnership with Karl Mihaljevich, who works at Rich Hill Stud in Matamata.

   Pentire stands at Rich Hill Stud and Pennies In Heaven has also produced a full brother to Tuppence called Penteverest, who won two races.

   But the mare, who is now 20 years old, also left a couple of top performers early on. The first was Single Currency (by Bachelor Duke), who won seven races including a Listed event over 1200m at Te Rapa. The second was Super Jockey (by Sandtrap) who ended up being a star galloper in Hong Kong.

   Super Jockey began his racing career in Hastings when called Okie Dokie. He had been sold by his breeders to the Hawke’s Bay father and son combination of John and James Bridge and scored an impressive debut win over 1200m at Hastings in September 2012.

   The horse was then on sold to Hong Kong where his name was changed to Super Jockey and he ended up in the stable of Tony Millard. He had 23 starts there for four wins, seven seconds and two thirds and won in excess of $HK12million in stakemoney.

   Super Jockey won a 1200m race in Korea that was rated a Group 1 event in that country and also finished second in a Group 1 race over 1200m on the dirt track in Dubai.

   Harvey, MacLean and Morris also bred a promising colt by Stravinsky out of Pennies In Heaven called Shrapnel, who they regarded as potentially the best the mare had produced.

   “He was the fastest horse we’ve bred,” Craig Harvey said this week.

   “He was trained at Hastings by John Bary and won a trial as a two-year-old but only had one start and pulled up sore. He was operated on but was never the same and never raced again.”

   Tuppence is trained at Cambridge by Tony Pike, who is also preparing another promising Pentire filly for Harvey and MacLean. She is a two-year-old filly out of Organdy, making her a half-sister to the 2010 Group 1 Easter Stakes winner Time Keeper.

   “She is a magnificent filly and Tony Pike thinks she could be even better than Tuppence so we have got our fingers crossed for the future,” Harvey said.

   “We’ve bred a few good horses but we’ve never raced any of them ourselves so hopefully the luck has changed.”

   He added that Pike will monitor Tuppence’s progress following her maiden win but there is a chance she could return to New Plymouth tomorrow week for the Listed $55,000 FastTrack Insurance Oaks Prelude (1800m).

   “There is that race or she could run in a Rating 65 over 1600m at Matamata the following day,” he added.

Tuppence stretches out well under the urgings of top apprentice Kozzi Asano to get up and beat Reliable Miss by a long neck in a 1600m maiden race at New Plymouth last week.

 

HB owner has Karaka Million runner

   First time Hawke’s Bay racehorse owner Christel Jager is living a dream as a small shareholder in the classy two-year-old Cool Aza Beel, one of the favourites for tomorrow’s $1million Karaka Million (1200m) at Ellerslie.

   Jager, who owns a 2.5 per cent share in the Savabeel colt, has had several years of involvement with thoroughbreds but to actually own a share in a horse racing for a million dollar purse is the ultimate.

   Cool Aza Beel has had three starts for two wins and a fourth. He scored on debut in the first two-year-old race of the season, over 800m, at Wanganui in September and was then put aside by trainer Jamie Richards.

   He resumed with a fourth over 1100m at Pukekohe on November 23 before a commanding win over 1200m at Tauranga last Friday.

   Faced by only three opponents, Cool Aza Bel made light work of his assignment, settling at the tail of the field in the early stages before cruising up to take control early in the home straight.

   Rider Opie Bosson only had to urge the colt with hands and heels in the run to the line and he scored by 3 lengths untested.

   “We’re on track,” a relieved Richards said, eluding to the fact that the win secured the colt a place in the Karaka Million field. 

   “He’s a pretty important horse for us so it was good to see him do that.

   “I thought he did it nicely and physically he has still got a bit of improvement in him for eight days’ time. He hasn’t raced in a fair while.” 

   The colt was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $150,000 from the draft of Fairdale Stud at last year’s Karaka yearling sales and the stable will be hoping he can emulate their previous Karaka Million winners Melody Belle (2017), Avantage (2018) and Probabeel (2019).

   Cool Aza Beel is raced by the Te Akau Sassy Beel Syndicate and managed by Karen Fenton-Ellis. There are 10 members in the syndicate and, although most of them have a much bigger shareholding than Jager, she is getting immense enjoyment from her involvement and will be making a special trip to Auckland this weekend to see the colt race.

   Jager spent four years working for former Hastings trainer Marlene Todd, regularly riding trackwork on the Hastings track. She is now a gym instructor at the Aspyre Fitness Centre in Hastings and is the only Hawke’s Bay person with a share in Cool Aza Beel.

Cool Aza Beel is out on his own at the finish of the two-year-old race over 1200m at Tauranga last Friday. The Savabeel colt is now one of the favourites for tomorrow’s Karaka Million (1200m) at Ellerslie.

 

Ormsby’s golden run continues

   The dream run being enjoyed by Waipukurau racehorse owner Michael Ormsby has continued in the past week, with Avantage taking out last Saturday’s Group 1 $250,000 JR & N Berkett Telegraph Sprint at Trentham and Spirit of Galway making it two wins in a row at Otaki on Monday.

   Ormsby, the treasurer and long time committeeman of the Waipukurau Jockey Club, is a member of the Te Akau Avantage syndicate that races class mare Avantage, who is now the winner of eight races and close to $1.2million in stakes.

   The daughter of Fastnet Rock also won the Karaka Million (1200m) at Ellerslie this time two years ago before recording her first Group 1 victory in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni two months later.

   The four-year-old was a game winner of last Saturday’s Group 1 feature at Trentham, overcoming a wide draw in the weight-for-age event. She sat three-wide, and midfield, in the early running before rider Opie Bosson managed to get her handier at the top of the home straight.

   Enzo’s Lad, chasing his third successive win in the race, looked the likely winner when clear inside the last 100 metres but Avantage ran him down late, getting up to score by a short neck.

   Avantage was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $210,000 from The Oaks Stud’s premier draft at the 2017 Karaka yearling sales. Her latest success made up for a disappointing Sydney campaign in the spring, where she was unplaced in two starts.

   Trainer Jamie Richards has hinted he would like to take the mare back to Australia this year, saying he would love to show the Aussies her true ability.

   “We’ll have a think about what’s next for her but we would like to go back to Australia and try and show her off over there as we have a bit of unfinished business from the spring,” he said.

   Richards also prepares Spirit Of Galway, who produced another impressive performance to take out a Rating 65 race over 1400m at Otaki last Monday.

   The Rip Van Winkle four-year-old mare was outstanding in winning a maiden race over 1400m at Hastings on New Year’s Day, overcoming a very slow start to score by 1-1/4 lengths.

   She was again slow away at Otaki and near last coming to the home turn before unleashing another paralyzing finishing burst down the outside to get up and snatch victory right on the line.

   Spirit Of Galway is raced by the Te Akau Galway Girl Syndicate and has now had 10 starts for two wins, two seconds and three thirds. She was purchased by David Ellis for $100,000 from the 2017 Ready To Run Two-Year-old sale.

Spirit Of Galway gets up in the last stride to snatch victory off Fly To The Sky in a rating 65 race over 1400m at Otaki last Monday. It was the mare’s second win in a row after her outstanding maiden win at Hastings on New Year’s Day.

 

Heart Of Stone wins again

  Hastings-trained Heart Of Stone overcame adversity when recording back-to-back wins and her third success from eight starts in a Rating 72 race over 1100m at Rotorua on Wednesday of last week.

   After proving difficult to load into the barrier, the Swiss Ace mare was unbalanced when hitting the side of the stall as she jumped away. She was then caught three-wide before being held up on the home turn and again 150m from the finish.

   Jockey Lisa Allpress managed to finally find a needle-eye gap between horses in the final stages and Heart Of Stone dashed through to get up and win by a long head.

   The four-year-old mare, prepared by John Bary, is owned by Gerry Harvey’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Holdings Limited and is out of an Australian-bred mare called Hot Rocks.

 

HB races Wednesday

   Hawke’s Bay Racing will stage its annual Bostock New Zealand race day at the Hastings track next Wednesday, January 29.

   An eight race programme is scheduled with the first starting at 12.52pm and the last at 4.59pm.

   The gates will open at 11.30am, with free gate admission and also free admission to the Members Stand.

   The Sasanof Lounge bar & cafe will be open throughout the day for all beverage and catering needs and totes will be operating in the Sasanof Lounge and also in the main ramp.

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HASTINGS TRACKWORK 21 Jan 2020

HASTINGS TRACKWORK

(By John Jenkins)

 

   Jonny Russ and Magic Incanto, two horses preparing for the Hawke’s Bay meeting on Wednesday of next week, turned in quick times in training at this morning’s Hastings track session.

   Fast work was confined to the plough, which provided good footing.

   Jonny Russ worked with Lean Thy Arms over 1000 metres. They started very quickly, running the first 400 in 24s, before easing slightly over the last 600 in 36.8 and Jonny Russ was slightly ahead at the finish.

   He looks to have trained on well since winning a Rating 65 race over 2100m at Hastings on New Year’s Day and will now step up to a Rating 72 event over 2000m there next week.

   Lean Thy Arms is a Raise The Flag four-year-old gelding in Patrick Campbell’s stable who finished seventh on debut over 1400m at Otaki on January 6. He will be stepped up to a Maiden 1600 at Hastings next week.

   Magic Incanto sprinted keenly over 600m on her own in 35.4. She hasn’t raced since being unplaced over 1600m at Awapuni in November and that followed a maiden win over 1400m at Hastings. She will resume over 1300m at Hastings next week.

   Vannoss, who will be entered for the Rating 65 race over 2100m at Trentham on Saturday, worked on his own at three-quarter pace from the 1200m peg in 1:26.5, quickening slightly over the last 600 in 41.6. He finished third over 2100m at Hastings on New Year’s Day.

   So Gold, another likely starter at Hastings next week, worked in at three-quarter pace from the 1000m peg and was timed to run the last 800 in 55.8, the final 600 in 41.6. She went a much improved race for fourth over 1250m at Rotorua last week and will line up over 1200m next Wednesday.

   Rekohu Diva was kept to not much more than three-quarter pace when running a solo 1000m in 1:11.6, the last 600 in 41.6. She only went down by a neck when second over 1400m at Hastings on New Year’s Day and will be stepped up to 1600m at Hastings next week.

   Belle’s Girl, who will make her race debut in the three-year-old maiden 1200 at Hastings, worked on her own over 600m in 39.2 while Flautino took 54 for a solo 800m, the last 600 in 38.8.

   A Raise The Flag three-year-old gelding in the Lowry/Cullen stable recorded 1:11.6 for an easy 1000m, the last 600 in 41.4.

 

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Hawkes Bay Racing Column 17 Jan 2020

Hastings pair eye a third Telegraph success

(By John Jenkins)

 

   The Hastings training partnership of Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen have won Trentham’s Group 1 JR & N Berkett Telegraph Sprint twice in the past five years and they could complete a treble in this year’s race.

   The stable will be represented by the talented mare Xpression in tomorrow’s $250,000 feature and, although the Showcasing mare has not raced for six weeks, her connections are confident she will perform well.

   The Lowry/Cullen partnership saddled up Irish Fling to take out the prestigious sprint in 2014 and then produced Adventador for an upset win two years later.

   Irish Fling was an $8.60 chance when she beat Natuzzi by a neck, with Jaggard 1-1/4 lengths back in third place.

   Mark Du Plessis was the winning jockey and he settled Irish Fling eighth in the early running before angling her into the open to lodge a challenge with 300 metres to run. The Darci Brahma mare dashed clear soon after for decisive victory.

   Adventador’s win two years later was filled with a lot more drama. The big Fast ‘N’ Famous gelding took charge of jockey Matthew Cameron and dislodged him going out onto the track to commence his preliminary. The horse broke through the inside running rail and travelled a short distance before being captured.

   Cameron was examined by St John’s personnel and cleared to ride while Adventador underwent a veterinary examination and was passed fit to travel to the starting barrier. Once there he underwent a further veterinary examination before being declared fit to start.

   Adventador bounced straight to the front from a wide draw and set up a strong gallop all the way. Cameron decided to put a break on the field soon after the field joined up with the course proper and the horse never looked like being caught, crossing the line a length in front of Miss Seton Sands, with Trepidation a further 1-1/4 lengths back in third.

   Adventador was one of the rank outsiders in that year’s race, returning a dividend of $80.90 for a win and $18.60 for a place.

   Xpression won’t be at such lucrative odds when she lines up tomorrow, but she is currently a $26.00 chance on the Fixed Odds win market, which represents good value for a mare who was Group 1 placed as a three-year-old.

   Xpression has only had 15 starts for three wins, two seconds and four thirds. She won the Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1200m) at Trentham as a two-year-old and the Group 3 Barnswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton as a three-year-old before a game third behind Media Sensation and Valalie in that year’s Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.

   Xpression was then sent across the Tasman to join the powerful Chris Waller stable but she never reached her full potential there, with her best placing being a third in the Group 3 Toy Show Stakes (1100m) at Randwick last August.

   The mare re-joined the Lowry/Cullen stable two months ago and has only had one start since, that resulting in a second to the highly rated Tavi Mac over 1200m at Trentham on December 7.

   Despite not having raced since then co-trainer Guy Lowry said this week Xpression is ready to produce a big performance fresh up.

   “The plan was to get her fit and keep her fresh and I think we’ve done that,” Lowry said.

   “I couldn’t be happier with her condition and she worked very strongly over 1000 metres at the Hastings track last Saturday.”

    Xpression has also had the benefit of an exhibition gallop between races at Otaki on December 20 and at Hastings on New Year’s Day and Lowry rates her much better than a 20 to one chance.

   “I give her just as good a chance as when Irish Fling won the race for us,” he said.

   He added that this will be Xpression’s last start as the mare is in foal to top Australian sire Snitzel.

   Xpression has drawn well at barrier three and will be ridden by experienced jockey Michael Coleman.

  

Xpression pictured on her way to winning over 1100m at Taupo last season. The Showcasing mare will fly the flag for Hawke’s Bay in tomorrow’s Group 1 Telegraph Sprint at Trentham.

 

Jumping races loom for Carnaby

   Carnaby, part-owned by five Hawke’s Bay people, picked up another win on the flat at last Saturday’s Greymouth meeting but is expected to be seen in a jumping role later this season.

   The seven-year-old Danroad gelding, prepared by astute Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers, followed up a fresh up second over 2000m at Greymouth on January 5 with a dominant 1-1/2 length victory in a Rating 65 race over the same distance last Saturday.

   Carnaby wanted to over-race a bit when midfield in the early stages of the race but experienced jockey Terry Mosely got him to settle going down the back straight before letting him slide forward to challenge for the lead, three-wide, on the home turn.

   He went clear early in the home straight and raced right away from the opposition over the final stages.

   It was Carnaby’s seventh win from 47 starts and he has also recorded seven minor placings. The horse was bred by well-known racing administrator Alan Fenwick of Marton and Feilding-based Michael Collinson and they initially raced him with Alan’s wife Sue and Carn Arnott, from Palmerston North.

   Hawke’s Bay men Tony Lyndon, Peter Johnstone, Peter Unverricht, Greg Horton and Bruce Yanko took over a 50 per cent racing share in him at the end of 2017 and got an instant return on their investment when the horse won at odds of 20 to one at Greymouth in January 2018.

   He has since won another three races on the flat but his connections are keen to see him race over fences.

   “We bought into him as a jumper and he’s done a lot of schooling, so he’ll probably start a jumping career in May,” Tony Lyndon said this week.

   He added there was a fair bit of confidence the horse could win last Saturday.

    “He was chucked in at the weights as he carried five kilograms less than he had on the first day,” Lyndon said.

   “He had raced a bit too keenly on the first day because he was a bit fresh and that run took the edge off him for last Saturday,” Lyndon said.

  Carnaby is out on his own at the finish of a rating 65 race over 2000m at Greymouth last Saturday. The Danroad gelding could soon be seen as a jumper.

 

Ormsby enjoying great run

   Year 2020 has certainly started well for Waipukurau racehorse owner Michael Ormsby and things could even get a lot better this weekend when Avantage lines up in tomorrow’s Group 1 $250,000 JR & N Berkett Telegraph Sprint at Trentham.

   Ormsby is sold on Te Akau racing syndicates and is enjoying an incredible ride by being involved in some of them.

   The treasurer and long-time committeeman of the Waipukurau Jockey Club is part of the Te Akau Galway Syndicate that owns Spirit Of Galway, arguably the most impressive winner at the Hawke’s Bay New Year’s Day race meeting.

   He is also a member of the Xplosive Te Akau Syndicate that races the three-year-old filly Xplosion, who recorded a maiden win over 1340m at Wanganui on Thursday of last week.

   The three-year-old Showcasing filly broke through for a deserved success after three thirds and two fourths from her previous eight starts.

   She started favourite and was given the perfect run by jockey Craig Grylls, setting fifth in the early running before improving to challenge the leaders on the home turn.

   Xplosion took a clear lead early in the home straight and raced away to win by 1-1/4 lengths.

   Avantage has already been a Group 1 winner for Ormsby, taking out the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni in March 2018.

   The daughter of Fastnet Rock also won the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) as an early three-year-old before she headed across the Tasman and was successful in the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill in Sydney.

   Avantage has had one start back in a new campaign for a close second behind Pretty To Sea in a Listed 1200m race at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. She is one of the favourites for tomorrow’s Telegraph Sprint.

 

Xplosion surges ahead of Westfield on her way to winning a maiden 1340m race at Wanganui last week. The Showcasing filly is part-owned by Waipukurau’s Michael Ormsby.

 

By-monthly award winner

   Hastings trainer Steven Carey is the recipient of the Kevin Wood Memorial by-monthly trophy for the month’s of November and December, 2019.

   The award is presented by the Hawke’s Bay Racehorse Owners Association.

   Carey is the trainer and co-owner of Matt Cain, who followed up a third placing at Awapuni in November with a maiden win over 1300m on his home track on December 11.

   It was Carey’s first training success and he owns the Danroad six-year-old in partnership with another Hastings man, Eric Verhaul.

 

Star gallopers shine at trials

   Exciting gallopers Te Akau Shark and Catalyst had their first hit-out of the year at the Matamata trials on Tuesday and they pleased their connections with their efforts in a 1000m heat.

   Catalyst jumped well and settled in the one-one for jockey Troy Harris, while Te Akau Shark sat three back on the fence for the majority of the trip in the hands of Michael McNab.

   A gap opened up nicely for Catalyst turning for home and he ran away to a two length victory over Te Akau Shark.

   Trainer Clayton Chipperfield was pleased with Catalyst’s performance, particularly his starting manners.

   “I am very happy,” Chipperfield said. “We took the hood off and he put himself right there and to finish off the way he did, with his ears pricked, was very encouraging.” 

   Catalyst has an impeccable formline as a three-year-old, having won all four of his starts this season, including a last start victory in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).

   The son of Darci Brahma will be out to continue that run in the Group 3 Henley Park Mr Tiz Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie tomorrow week before heading across the Tasman next month.

   Matamata conditioner Jamie Richards was just as pleased with the effort of Te Akau Shark and he is looking forward to targeting Australia in the autumn with the last start Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) placegetter.

   “We are really happy with him,” Richards said. “He lobbed three back the fence and came up in behind them with no pressure. 

   “It wasn’t about chasing Catalyst or having a race today, it was just about building fitness and doing the right thing by the horse. We are pleased with how he is coming to hand.

   “He will go to the BCD Sprint (Group 1, 1400m) at Te Rapa on February 8 and then he will go to Sydney.”

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