Hawke’s Bay thoroughbred owner-breeders Richard and Liz Wood were back celebrating that winning feeling after a lengthy drought when Miss Emerald scored a game fresh up win in maiden race at Woodville on Friday of last week.
The Woods have bred and raced numerous horses over the years and have enjoyed a lot of success. However, Richard Wood admitted it had been a long time between celebration drinks after the mare carried their distinctive red and blue colours to a three length victory in the 1400m event.
In-form Irish jockey Joe Doyle was aboard Miss Emerald and bounced her out quickly from the barrier to dispute the early pace before taking a clear lead starting the last 1200 metres.
They were put under siege by several rivals early in the home straight, but Miss Emerald showed a great will to win, surging clear again close to the line.
Richard and Liz Wood are best known as the breeders and former owners of the outstanding galloper Jimmy Choux, who was the winner of 12 races including five at Group 1 level.
Jimmy Choux was trained at Hastings by John Bary and his five Group 1 victories were in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie, Rosehill Guineas (2000m) in Sydney and both the Windsor Park Plate (1600m) and NZ Bloodstock Insurance Spring Classic (2040m) at Hastings. He was also runner-up in the 2011 running of the famous Cox Plate (2040m) in Melbourne.
Bary also trains Miss Emerald and he races the mare in partnership with the Woods.
The four-year-old Iffraaj mare was having her eighth start when she lined up at Woodville but it was her first since she finished fourth over 1400m at Taupo back in September last year.
Richard Wood said he and Bary have always had a high opinion of Miss Emerald but that she is a mare that has taken time to grow up and strengthen.
“That was a pretty tough effort to lead practically all the way over 1400 metres in her first race for a long time and I think she will go on with it now,” Wood said.
The race Miss Emerald won at Woodville was part of the Entain-NZB Insurance Pearl Series so, in addition to the $9520 first prizemoney, the Woods and Bary also share a $20,000 Pearl Bonus.
Miss Emerald is one of four named foals produced by the now deceased High Chaparral mare Urulu, who was unraced.
The first foal, by Jimmy Choux, was called Chouxwest and was unplaced in five starts.
The second foal was What a Charma, who was also by Jimmy Choux, and has recorded a win, five seconds and two thirds from 16 starts to date.
Miss Emerald is the third foal and Wood said the mare has since left a three-year-old by Charm Spirit, named Wild Ruby, who is trained in Australia by Clayton Douglas.
“He shows plenty of promise and Liz and I race a 10 percent share in him along with a group of our friends from Western Australia,” Wood added.
The Woods were the breeders of two winners at last Friday’s Woodville meeting, the other being Pinkerton who took out a Rating 65 highweight over 1600m.
Pinkerton is a six-year-old by Niagara out of the Reset mare Bidthemobgooday and is now owned and trained by Awapuni-based Mark Oulaghan.
He is now the winner of three races from 18 starts and is a half-brother to Chouxting The Mob, who has been a seven time winner in Australia, and also Duplicity, who has won six races.
Woodville winner Bucks Night on the market