The powerful Hawke’s Bay stable of Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal look to have another promising jumper in their care in Empire State, who scored a decisive win in the maiden hurdle race at Te Rapa last Saturday.
The six-year-old Tavistock gelding was having his eighth attempt over the smaller fences, having shown improvement at each start this campaign. He put the writing on the wall when finishing third behind Jerricoop last month at Te Aroha and scored a 2-14 length win in last Saturday’s 2800m event.
Empire State settled just worse than midfield in the race, under jockey Will Featherstone, before improving quickly starting the last 700m to challenge for the lead on the home turn.
Fierce Flight joined Empire State in front soon after and the pair jumped the third last fence on terms.
Empire State then started to wander to the outside of the track coming to the second to last but still jumped it proficiently and was clear in front after skipping over the last fence, drawing away in the run to the line.
The victory was Featherstone’s second over fences since arriving in New Zealand in May and he was grateful to trainers Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal for the opportunity.
“He’s run an absolute cracker there for me,” he said. “I’m very happy, and it was very kind of Paul to give me the ride.
“He started to veer out a little bit to the right coming into the second-last fence, but after correcting him, he ran on strongly in that ground.
“I’m getting a few more rides and getting to ride for a few of the top trainers, it’s a very good feeling. I’ve been here for two months or so, and it’s been really good.”
Bred by Gerry Harvey. Empire State was initially trained by Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, who gifted the gelding to the Hastings trainers after five runs on the flat. Nelson and McDougal race him alongside Nelson’s son Angus Nelson, and staff member Grace Stewart.
He was the first foal out of a one-win High Chapparal mare Midtown Manhattan and a half-brother to Apfel, a daughter of Reliable Man who sold for $100,000 at the 2022 Karaka yearling sales and has gone on to record a win and two minor placings from 10 starts in Australia.
Jumping stars on show at Woodville
Woodville will wind back the clock this Sunday when staging this year’s running of the Glenanthony Simmentals Stud Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m) and Te Whāngai Romney’s Hawke’s Bay Hurdles (3000m), with a number of retired jumping stars joining the festivities.
Among the quintet will be the John Wheeler-trained Volkswagin, who won five steeplechase races, including dead-heating for first with Penstar in the 2012 Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase.
Now rising 21, the son of Volksraad has never been far away from the track since he was retired from racing in mid-2014, spending many years being used as a clerk of the course’s horse at New Plymouth and Hawera. Alongside these duties, he has also been used in the hunting field by Wheeler’s wife Linda and still plays an important role in their stable, helping educate young horses.
One of Woodville’s own heroes, Chocolate Fish, will return to his former home for the day, nearly seven years after winning the Great Northern Steeplechase at Te Aroha. Prepared locally by Shane Brown, ‘Fish’ thrived in the jumping role, with his Northern success coming alongside a number of prestige placings.
Chocolate Fish was retired sound in 2020 and went on to have a successful career in the show ring before settling into his current life as a happy farm hack. He now lives on a farm in Pahiatua with one of his original owners.
Just up the road in Central Hawke’s Bay, Kipkeino has been living an active retirement since bowing out of racing in 2021. After six victories on the flat, the son of Sunray won the 2017 edition of the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles, and placed in a Great Northern Hurdle, Wellington Hurdle and Wellington Steeplechase.
In the care of his trainer and owner Lucy de Lautour, Kipkeino has been a regular participant at Hawke’s Bay Hunt Club fixtures over the past couple of seasons.
Two of Kevin Myers’ former stars, Zed Em and Kick Back, will both make an appearance at the meeting, aged 14 and 16.
Zed Em had a phenomenal career, winning 17 of his 58 starts and earning just shy of $1.2 million in stakes. After winning three successive jumping races for Myers, he was transferred to the care of Patrick Payne, and over the next five seasons, he won three Von Doussa Steeplechases, two Great Easterns, a Grand Annual and a Brierly.
The diminutive Kick Back was another fan favourite, with the highlights of her career coming in 2016, when she won the Manawatu Steeplechase, Pakuranga Hunt Cup and Great Northern Steeplechase for the Trotter family.
After her Ellerslie triumphs, Kick Back retired to the broodmare paddock, where she has produced Kick On, a Group 3 placegetter and winner of seven races in Myers’ care.
Woodville welcomes all racegoers to head on course this Sunday and meet these wonderful horses and watch on as they lead out the jumps races through the day.
Damask Rose back in work in Aussie
Damask Rose, winner of this year’s inaugural NZB Kiwi, has returned from a spell and has entered Te Akau’s Cranbourne stable in Victoria to be prepared for big spring Australian assignments.
The Savabeel filly, part-owned by Hastings man Kieran Pollard, has not raced since taking out the $3.5million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie on March 8. That was her fourth success from only seven starts and followed a victory in the $1.5million Karaka Millions Three-year-old Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie in January.
Damask Rose, who has been a stand out performer for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson this season, is raced by the Te Akau Coming Up Roses Partnership and Pollard owns a 10 per cent share.
The filly, who cost $200,000 as a yearling, has already won more than $2.2million in stakemoney and her NZB Kiwi win earned her automatic entry into one of Australia’s biggest races, the A$10million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on November 1.
Damask Rose landed in Melbourne last month and Walker said she has settled in well to her new environment.
“She has settled in really well at our Cranbourne barn and we are really happy with her. She hasn’t missed a beat,” he said.
“She is still lightly raced and she has got a bright future.”
While the Golden Eagle remains her key spring target, Walker has outlined a potentially lucrative pathway to the Syndey feature.
“She will kick-off in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) on August 30 and will have a couple of jumpouts before then,” he said.
“From the Cockram it is three weeks to the Sir Rupert Clarke (Gr.1, 1400m) and then three weeks after that is the Toorak, a Group One mile handicap, and it is three weeks from there to the Golden Eagle.”
Te Akau’s Cranbourne stable is also gaining two other exciting additions for upcoming spring racing.
Group One-winning two-year-old Return To Conquer has also crossed the Tasman, with his major spring target being the A$2million Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on November 1.
Group One-winning filly La Dorada is also expected to be transferred from Te Akau’s New Zealand base to the Cranbourne stable next week.
The daughter of Super Seth has been bested in only one of her five starts to date, when runner-up in the Group 2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, but subsequently went on to win the $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), Group 2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
Hit and run mission for HK champ
It will be a case of one and done for New Zealand-bred sprinting sensation Ka Ying Rising in his Australian spring campaign, with trainer David Hayes confirming the A$20 million The Everest (1200m) will be his sole target down under.
"It's been decided that we'll give Ka Ying Rising one run in The Everest and then the owner is keen to concentrate on Hong Kong," Hayes said.
"He's avoiding the temptation of the big money in Australia. He's decided win, lose or draw, to come back after the race.
"It's nice to have it locked in so we can plan. The owner's really committed to Hong Kong racing and the Hong Kong Jockey Club have been so helpful with the slot that he wants to do the right thing by the club."
Ka Ying Rising will represent the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s slot in the October 18 showpiece at Randwick, for which he is currently a $1.90 favourite in futures markets with bookmakers.
Bred by Marton horseman Fraser Auret, the four-year-old gelding has been an unstoppable force for Hayes in Hong Kong, winning 13 of his 15 starts in the competitive racing jurisdiction.
He is undefeated in the current term, recording eight successive victories, including the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m), Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), Group 2 Spring Cup (1200m), Group 2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1400m) and Group 2 Premier Bowl (1200m).
His feats on the track earned him a rating of 126, ranking the son of Shamexpress as the world’s best turf horse in the latest Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings.