Dannevirke racehorse owner Dean Shuker has enjoyed many highs on the racetrack through the deeds of multiple stakes winning mare Atishu and he now has shares in another potential star in Little Black Dress.

Shuker owns a five per cent share in the Snitzel filly, who made an impressive winning debut at the Pukekohe meeting on Friday of last week and looks destined for much greater things.

The two-year-old contested a 1200m race, against more experienced runners, and scored a runaway 2-1/2 length win.

Jockey Wiremu Pinn jumped the filly away quickly from the barrier to take the lead inside the first 200m of the race. The filly controlled the tempo from then on before kicking clear at the  top of the home straight to put a distance between herself and the chasers.

Little Black Dress is prepared by Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh and had been given two barrier trials before making her debut, finishing fourth out of five over 950m on the Cambridge synthetic track last month before winning an 1100m heat at Ellerslie on March 11.

She is owned by the Go Racing Hepburn Syndicate, managed by Albert Bosma, and Shuker is a five per cent shareholder.

The Australian-bred filly was purchased from the Inglis Autumn Easter sale last year for A$240,000 and is by champion Australian sire Snitzel out of the Street Cry mare Star Fashion.

Star Fashion had 21 race starts and was a multiple stakes performer, with a record of three wins, six seconds and a third.

She won the Group 3 Ladies Day Vase (1600m) at Caulfield  and was also runner-up in the Group 1 South Australian Oaks (2000m) and Listed Centaurea Stakes (2006m) at Morphettville. She also finished second in both the Group 3 Edward Manifold Stakes (1610m) at Flemington and Listed Morphettville Guineas (1600m) as a maiden and is now the dam of four winners from five foals to race.

Trainer Stephen Marsh and syndicators Go Racing filled the quinella in last Friday’s  Stella Artois 1200 with another first starter, Mazino, chasing Little Black Dress home.

 Mazino came from near the back of the field with a strong finish down the outside, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of the third-placed Odds And Ends.

“They’re a couple of lovely Go Racing fillies who had both shown us a bit of ability at home and at the trials, so it was pleasing to see them come out and perform the way they did today,” Marsh said.

“They’re two beautifully bred fillies who both have a bit of upside and will likely have some black-type assignments later in their two-year-old preparations,” Marsh said.

“Little Black Dress will probably point towards the Star Way Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Ellerslie on April 19. We think Mazino will come into her own over a slightly longer trip, so we’ll work backwards from the Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (Listed, 1400m) in May with her.”

Dean Shuker and his wife have flown to Melbourne this weekend to watch Atishu contest this Saturday’s Group 1 $A2.5million Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington.

The Savabeel mare, winner of 11 races, will be having her third start back from a spell and follows a last start fifth in the Group 1 All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington on March 8.

Only 10 horses are entered for the weight-for-age Australian Cup and Atishu has drawn barrier seven, with top Australian jockey Blake Shinn to ride her.

She is the second highest rated horse in the field with a rating of 115, with the highest rated being the glamour Australian mare and likely pacemaker Pride Of Jenni (121).

Investigation into abandonments

Following last Sunday’s abandonment of the Tauherenikau race meeting after a horse slipped in the first race, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and the Club have received a report following an investigation.

The report outlines:

• A deep hoofmark was clearly visible, with nothing similar observed in the vicinity. It appears that the horse’s hoof contacted a small, unusually soft spot and has penetrated much deeper than usual.” 

• Moisture readings and cores were taken at various points in the track, and they showed good consistency through the profile. Investigations around the deep hoof mark did not reveal any similar soft spots or voids and moisture levels in the vicinity of the hoof mark were 45% and consistent with the rest of the track.

• It appears the horse has scrambled to regain its footing after the deep hoof mark which has resulted in the slip. Further investigation of the area where the slipping occurred was also normal.

NZTR is confident the track was presented well on race morning, with jockeys and the RIB complimentary of the surface prior to the running of the first event. However, given the unusual nature of this abandonment, NZTR, the Regional Track Advisor and the Club have decided that further investigation is required.

The scheduled race meeting on April 13 will no longer be held at Tauherenikau and alternative venue information will be communicated in the coming days.

The Club will complete a full investigation before performing a full, detailed renovation which had been scheduled to commence after the April 13 raceday.

Last Sunday’s Tauherenikau abandonment followed by the abandonment of Tuesday’s Taupo trials, after the running of one heat, has added to growing frustration within the thoroughbred racing industry surrounding the sport’s infrastructure.

“I think we are starting to get to a point where we have got a bit of a crisis with our infrastructure,” New Zealand Trainers’ Association President Shaun Clotworthy said, following Tuesday’s abandoned Taupo trials.

“We probably need to look at a complete review of our processes and get someone in to have a different look at it from a different angle because it’s not working at the moment.

“The cost is huge to the industry and especially to the owners, who are getting really sick of it, and trainers, who have to reorganise staff and pay different people and juggle things around, so it comes at a personal cost to them as well.”

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s chief operating officer Darin Balcombe said the latest string of abandonments is frustrating for the industry, with a number of provincial tracks feeling the pressure of extra racedays, with a number of metropolitan tracks currently out of commission while renovations are taking place.

“We completely feel for the industry stakeholders that have been to these meetings that have been called off,” Balcombe said. “It is a terrible situation, and it is a big drain on the industry.

“The tracks are struggling with the weight of racing on them at the moment and that is causing issues.

“It is putting pressure on a number of our provincial tracks that generally are set-up to run three to four racedays a season and are being asked now to run seven or eight, and the stress is showing on those tracks.

“We need to ensure that we are getting these tracks up to speed as early as possible to make sure it doesn’t carry on.

“It makes it very difficult to be an owner when these things are happening, so we have got to get it right and we are working hard to get it right.”

The Awapuni racecourse in Palmerston North is currently one of those metropolitan tracks undergoing renovations but is set to resume racing on their turf track on April 25.

“We won’t be pushing Awapuni, so it will probably only run two or three meetings before we put it aside for winter and get it back because it is going to be an important venue next spring.”

With Hastings racecourse also out of commission, and Trentham set to undergo renovations in the near future, Balcombe said New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing have partnered with several provincial clubs to ensure they have the means to handle additional race meetings year-round.

“We are making sure every track undergoes a full renovation period,” Balcombe said. “Knowing that Hastings and Trentham were going to be out in the short-term, we did put irrigation in at Waverley and Hawera to ensure those tracks can be used.

“We are also looking at the possibility of having an irrigation system at Woodville just to allow that track to cover off as well because we are going to have Hastings out for a little period and on the back of that a decision has got to be made on Trentham and what needs to be done there with the track and facilities.”

Balcombe said this week he expects an announcement on a plan for the Hastings racecourse within the next fortnight.

Purton to ride El Vencedor in HK

Hong Kong champion jockey Zac Purton has been booked to ride Kiwi raider El Vencedor in the Gr.1 FWD QE II Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin next month. 

An invitation was extended to the connections of the in-form gelding following his golden run of form in New Zealand, which included consecutive victories in the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m), Group 1 Otaki Maori WFA Classic (1600m), and Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m). 

In search of a rider, trainer Stephen Marsh was able to snare the services of Purton, who is set to return to raceday riding at Sha Tin this weekend after being sidelined with a broken toe, and he is excited to be aboard the Kiwi. 

“You can’t knock horses that are winning, and you take Romantic Warrior out of the race here from Hong Kong, Voyage Bubble is going back to the mile, so there is not really anything else around here over the mile-and-a-quarter.  

“The Japanese horses will come, they are always very strong. If Goliath comes, he will be very hard to beat, but they have all got to get on the plane to come here first. 

“I will ride him (El Vencedor), so that is a nice ride to pick-up.”