Napier racehorse owner Bruce Lewis enjoyed his biggest day on a racecourse at Pukekohe last Saturday and came within centimetres of celebrating a double success for the week at Matamata on Wednesday.
Lewis and six of his work colleagues, from different parts of the country, own a five per cent share in Tokyo Tycoon, the winner of last Saturday’s $1million Karaka Two-year-old Classic (1200m). The same group also has a five per cent share in another two-year-old called Mazzucato. The Tivaci filly made an impressive debut in a maiden two-year-old race over 1200m at Matamata, taking a clear lead early in the home straight before being collared right on the line by Lowe Flying.
The two horses have been syndicated by Te Akau Racing and are trained at Matamata by Mark Walker.
Bruce Lewis said he was watching a replay of Tokyo Tycoon’s amazing Karaka Million win for about the 20th time when contacted by phone earlier this week.
“What did you think of the win?,” he asked.
I said I thought it was one of the most impressive wins in the race’s 18-year history, aided by a great ride from South African-born jockey Craig Zackey.
“Yeah he was pretty impressive and he won going away,” he replied.
“It was a great thrill to be there. He could be a pretty special horse.”
Tokyo Tycoon drew one from the outside in a 14-horse field and his prospects looked even bleaker when he stumbled in the first couple of strides and was back last when the field settled down.
But jockey Craig Zackey showed amazing patience, biding his time at the tail of the field before searching for gaps when the field fanned at the top of the home straight.
After weaving in and out a couple of times Zackey finally found clear air for his mount and the son of Satono Aladdin started to hit top gear.
Cambridge fillies Ulanova and Ethereal Star looked likely to fight out the finish entering the last 100 metres, but then Tokyo Tycoon suddenly emerged from the pack and flew straight past them, going clear to score by three-quarters of a length.
Zackey stood high in the irons and gave a victory salute as Tokyo Tycoon crossed the line, saying later that it was one of the most extraordinary moments in his riding career.
The 27-year-old former champion apprentice in South Africa only arrived in New Zealand late last year and has proved a tremendous addition to the New Zealand riding ranks.
His victory on Tokyo Tycoon was his 14th on New Zealand soil, five of those coming in black type races. He also added another two wins at Wednesday’s Matamata meeting.
“It is unexplainable. I have only just moved here and I have won one of the biggest races. It is overwhelming,” Zackey said.
“Mark left it up to me and I thought I’d leave it up to the horse.
“After falling out of the gates like that, losing ground, getting back on his feet, finding a rhythm again and then to go and hunt down eight or nine lengths in the straight – that is what a good horse is made of. All credit to him, he’s a superstar.”
Tokyo Tycoon is now unbeaten in three starts. He was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $125,000 at last year’s Karaka yearling sales and has now amassed $599,000 in stakemoney.
Runner-up Ethereal Star was a $600,000 purchase from the Karaka sales and her three-start career has produced a win and two second placings for $227,000 in stakes. Third-placed Trobriand is a stablemate of the winner and was bought by Ellis for $260,000. He has had three wins and a third from four starts for earnings of $192,000.
Tokyo Tycoon is now unlikely to race again for another month, with Lewis saying plans are for the gelding to contest the Group 3 $85,000 Matamata Slipper (1200m) on February 25 before going on to the Group 1 $320,000 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Pukekohe on March 11.
Impressive two-year-old winner
Hastings trainer John Bary produced a timely winner when Lowe Flying took out the maiden two-year-old race at Matamata on Wednesday.
The Tivaci filly was the only horse Bary took to the mid-week meeting and her success came just four days before the start of this year’s Karaka yearling sales series.
Bary was instrumental in purchasing Lowe Flying from last year’s Karaka sales for $420,000 on behalf of Aquis Racing Australia and the powerful thoroughbred syndication group is likely to be prominent again at this year’s sales.
Bary certainly had plenty of background knowledge about Lowe Flying as he trained the filly’s dam Miss Selby, who was a Group 3 winner of three races and filled a first three placing 10 times from only 18 starts.
Miss Selby, by O’Reilly out of Singing Star, won the Group 3 Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Hastings as a three-year-old and was runner-up in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).
Bary gave Lowe Flying two barrier trials at the beginning of this season, with the filly winning the second of them, over 850m at Foxton in October.
She then made her race debut over 1100m at Woodville on November 3, finishing a close second to Believe In Magic who went on to be stakes placed at her next start.
Bary then gave Lowe Flying a break before revving her up again and she showed she was ready for a big fresh up performance when finishing second to the well performed Wewillrock in a 750m jumpout at Hastings on January 6.
Lowe Flying could not have been more impressive at Matamata on Wednesday, settling back midfield in the early running before unleashing a devastating finishing burst to collar the leader Mazzucato right on the line.
It is likely that the filly will now return to the Matamata track for the Group 2 $120,000 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) on February 25.
Lowe Flying’s success at Matamata on Wednesday came one race after her close relation, Ask Mum, also scored impressively in a maiden event over 1400m.
The four-year-old Ocean Park mare was forced to cover plenty of extra ground, three-wide, from an outside draw but still prove far too good.
Jockey Craig Grylls let his mount improve around the field coming to the home turn and she produced a powerful finish down the outside of the track to win by 3-1/2 lengths. She was having her third start for Matamata training partners Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott and followed a close second over 1215m at Rotorua on December 28.
Ask Mum is raced by the Hawke’s Bay-based Ask Partnership. It is a group of descendants of the late Graeme Lowe, a prominent Hawke’s Bay businessman who was an avid thoroughbred owner-breeder.
Lowe raced Ask Mum’s dam, Singing Star, who recorded eight wins including the Group 2 Waikato Cup and Listed Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2000m). The Danasinga mare is the grandam of Lowe Flying.
Sutherland and Latta a successful team
Promising Hastings apprentice jockey Lily Sutherland is fast building a great association with top Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta.
Sutherland, 18, kicked home two winners at last Saturday’s Trentham meeting and both were prepared by Latta.
She won the opening event on impressive maiden victor Freedom Reins and then, three races later, she steered Lincoln’s Kruz to an all the way win in the $40,000 open handicap.
Those two victories capped a great two month period for the Latta/Sutherland combination as they had been successful six times together since November 11.
The run started at Awapuni on November 19 when Sutherland rode the Latta-trained Amosia to a dominant 2-1/4 length win in a Rating 65 race over 1200m.
At the Boxing Day Otaki meeting Sutherland chalked up another brace of wins on Latta-trained horses, with Elcheikhali taking out a maiden 1200m race and Belardo Boy scoring a decisive 1-1/4 length victory in a Rating 75 race over 1400m.
Sutherland then combined with the Latta-trained Chikira Lass for an easy 2-1/4 length win in a rating 75 race over 1600m at Wanganui on January 12 before her winning double last Saturday.
Sutherland’s brace of wins last Saturday took her career tally to 28, which is a great achievement considering she has been race-riding for less than 12 months and chalked up her first win aboard the Kevin Myers-trained Shockproof at Hawera in April 27 last year.
Promising Hastings apprentice Lily Sutherland.