Hastings trainer Caitlin Johnson brought up her second win since branching out on her own when Jim Dandy produced a gutsy performance to take out a maiden 2060m race at Wanganui last Sunday.
Johnson initially started out training in partnership with Fred Pratt and they produced one winner together, when She’s Miss Gevious took out a $60,000 Special Conditions Maiden at Hastings in October 2022.
She saddled up her first winner, in her own right, when Abeecee took out a maiden 2140m race on the Awapuni synthetic track in June of this year and Jim Dandy is the only other horse she has racing at the moment.
The two horses are among seven Johnson presently has in work and both are owned by Hastings woman Margaret Harkema, whose property Johnson has her horses stabled.
Jim Dandy was having only his fourth race start when he lined up at Wanganui and his third since coming into Johnson’s care.
The five-year-old Embellish gelding had one start for Te Aroha trainer Peter Lock in June of last year, finishing seventh over 1700m on the Awapuni synthetic track.
The horse was then given a lengthy spell before Johnson took him on.
“He’s been pretty hard work,” Johnson recalled this week.
“He has needed a fair bit of educating but we are getting there.”
Jim Dandy had his first start for Johnson in a 1600m maiden race at Otaki at the beginning of last month, making ground from the back of the field to finish fifth out of 13. The horse then stepped up to 2200m at Waverley on July 24, where he was held up in the running before finishing strongly to post another fifth placing.
Palmerston North jockey Leah Hemi was aboard Jim Dandy at Wanganui last Sunday and was positive from the start, bouncing the horse out quickly to take up a trailing position early before pushing forward to lead mid-way through the race.
Jim Dandy was then taken on by two others and looked under pressure coming to the home turn but rallied again in the home straight, keeping up a strong finish down the outside of the track to win by a length.
Margaret Harkema outlayed only $2000 to purchase Jim Dandy from the 2023 Karaka yearling sales and he is out of the unraced Tavistock mare Vinstock.
Johnson said the horse is likely to start next in a Rating 65 race at the Hawke’s Bay meeting on August 22.
A winning double by HB horses
Hawke’s Bay-trained horses book-ended last Saturday’s first day of the Grand National meeting at Riccarton, with Benjamin winning the opening event and Jungleland taking out the final race on the card.
Benjamin is one of five jumpers the powerful Hastings training partnership of Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal have taken south and the lightly raced six-year-old was most impressive in winning a $30,000 maiden hurdle race over 3100m at just his second start over fences.
Nelson bought the horse through the Gavelhouse online auction site after he had previously been unplaced in one start for Cambridge trainer Chad Ormsby.
“Chad said he was a big weak horse that needed time which we’ve given him,” Nelson said.
“He loves jumping and all the staff want to ride him in his work.”
Nelson did say the Preferment gelding gave him some concern when he didn’t eat or drink when he arrived in the South Island in the middle of last week but picked up once he got stabled at Riccarton.
Benjamin is raced by the I See Red Syndicate, a large group of racing enthusiasts who have enjoyed tremendous success with horses trained by the Nelson/McDougal partnership, especially jumpers.
The syndicate celebrated a big success at last year’s Grand National meeting when Suliman took out the $100,000 Grand National Hurdles and will be represented by Dictation in this Saturday’s running of that 4200m feature.
Benjamin is also set to back up this Saturday in the $40,000 0-1 win hurdle race over 3100m.
Jungleland’s victory in last Saturday’s $35,000 Rating 75 race over 1800m was certainly deserved as the six-year-old had been building to a win with a fourth, a third and a second from three starts this campaign.
The six-year-old Tarzino gelding is trained by Waipukurau’s Lucy de Lautour, who races him with her husband Will.
The couple bought the horse for $11,000 from the Gavelhouse online auction site in February last year and he has now had eight starts for them.
He was previously trained by the Matamata partnership of Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott who prepared him for a win, two seconds and a fourth from 10 starts.
Jungleland is also expected to back up on today’s third day of the Grand National meeting, where he will step up to 2000m in another Rating 75 event.
Popinjay adds to family’s success
Popinjay, bred and owned by Hawke’s Bay’s Neil Kirton, capped off several minor placings with a maiden win on the Awapuni synthetic track on Friday of last week.
The four-year-old Rock ‘n’ Pop gelding started a warm favourite for the 2140m event and, after settling third in the early running, he looked under pressure coming to the home turn.
But apprentice rider Floor Moerman got him to the outside of the track and he rallied gamely in the final stages to grind out a half-length win.
The success followed two thirds and a fourth from his last four starts and he also finished second over 1600m at Tauherenikau back in December last year.
That second placing was behind the promising Loose Jewels while the horse that finished third in that race was Wigmore, who went on to win the Group 1 South Australian Derby in May.
Popinjay is trained at Awapuni by Mike Breslin and Kirton said this week the horse has been a work in progress but seems to be getting better with each start.
“He has been very immature, both physically and mentally, but is getting better all the time,” Kirton said.
He added that the horse is likely to start next in a Rating 65 race over 2200m at Woodville on August 16.
Popinjay is out of the Savabeel mare No Tolerence and a full-brother to No Rock No Pop, who is the most successful horse Kirton has raced in recent years.
That daughter of Rock ‘n’ Pop recorded four wins, two seconds and five thirds from 33 starts when trained at Hastings by Lee Somervell and was stakes placed, finishing third in the Listed Wairarapa Breeders Stakes (1600m).
Kirton now has a two-year-old filly by Niagara out of No Rock No Pop in work with Mike Breslin and the mare is soon to be mated with Embellish.
Swordsman, a horse that carried Kirton’s colours to victory in a two-year-old race at Wanganui back in April and then went on to finish second at his next start, has since been sold to a Hong Kong buyer for a six-figure sum and will do his future racing in that continent.
“It was sad to see him go but you can’t turn down the sort of money that they offered for him,” Kirton added.
La Dulcin’ee retired to stud
Consistent Hastings mare La Dulcin’ee ran her last race when finishing fifth over 1400m on the Awapuni synthetic track on Friday of last week and is now headed south to be mated with Alflaila, the new stallion standing at White Robe Lodge Stud, Wingatui.
The Per Incanto mare goes to the broodmare paddock with three wins and 16 minor placings to her credit with her maiden win being one that will always be fondly remembered by her trainer Patrick Campbell.
Campbell leased the mare from her Waikato breeder Bob Emery and raced her with his long-time friend Norman Stewart and Dene Smith from Hastings.
Stewart was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away just over a year ago.
Before he died he decided to put on a special birthday party for himself at one of his hometrack race meetings in Ashburton and persuaded Campbell to travel La Dulcin’ee down for a $25,000 maiden race over 1200m on the day.
La Dulcin’ee marked the occasion in style, romping away to a seven length win in the hands of Tina Comignaghi.
“It was a dream result and very special,” Campbell said.
“Norm and I were close mates for a number of years and as far as I’m concerned she (La Dulcin’ee) will always be famous for that one day.”
La Dulcin’ee’s other two wins were recorded on the Wanganui track, the most recent being over 1360m in February this year.
Group 1 assignment planned
Danica Guy can’t wait to get to Ellerslie next month where her Group 3 winner Lupo Solitario is set to have his first tilt at elite-level in the Group 1 Proisir Plate (1400m).
The now six-year-old gelding was a standout for the Matamata trainer as a three-year-old, winning three of his six starts, including the Group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) before he was sold to Hong Kong interests.
He had seven Hong Kong starts for trainer Frankie Lor but a race fall at Sha Tin knocked his confidence and a decision was made to send him back to his homeland after three subsequent unplaced runs.
He returned to Guy’s care, who took over the ownership of the son of Satono Aladdin, and he returned to his form of old when winning two of his five starts earlier this year, including the Group 3 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie in April.
Guy has been pleased with the way he is building into his spring preparation, which included an effortless placing in his 1100m trial at Te Rapa on Tuesday.
“He handled it really well, did it all under his own steam and pulled up well, which is great,” Guy said.
“Hopefully we will go fresh-up into the Proisir Plate at Ellerslie,” Guy said.