The Hastings training partnership of Guy Lowry and Leah Zydenbos have some ambitious plans for last Sunday’s impressive Waipukurau winner Zorero.
The Per Incanto three-year-old was one of the most eye-catching winners on what was a hugely successful return to racing on the Waipukurau racetrack after an almost six year hiatus.
Thousands packed the Waipukurau racecourse to enjoy what was the first official race meeting held on the track since December 8, 2019.
Waipukurau Jockey Club president Kirsty Lawrence was expecting a big day, with all on-course hospitality booked out, but even she was over-awed by the crowd that turned up to see country racing at its best.
“It was absolutely huge,” a delighted and exhausted Lawrence said a day after the race meeting.
“When we started out organising a return to racing at Waipukurau we were like a Raleigh three-speed bike but by the finish of Sunday it was like we had driven a five-speed motorbike.”
Lawrence said on-course betting at the meeting exceeded $140,000 and she envisaged there was just as much again in telephone betting from on-course patrons.
“Now that we have pulled that off we are now a transferable venue so that, if race meetings are called off at other venues, we are available,” Lawrence added.
The Waipukurau Jockey has two more racing dates for this season, the next being on February 15 and the third on April 26.
Zorero contested a 1200m maiden event at Sunday’s meeting and, after jumping away quickly from the barrier, he disputed the pace before kicking clear early in the home straight.
Jockey Kelly Myers only had to keep the horse up to the mark with a hands and heels ride over the final stages and he crossed the line 2-1/2 lengths clear of the opposition.
Zorero had the benefit of several jumpouts and a second in 1000m trial at Awapuni on October 6 to fit him for the race.
“He’s a very good horse,” Guy Lowry said.
“We’ve always thought a lot of him and he’s shown us plenty. He didn’t let us down.”
Lowry said the gelding is now likely to contest a $65,000 Three-year-old set weights and penalties race over 1400m at Trentham on December 6 and then be aimed at the Group 3 $250,000 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie on January 24.
Zorero is raced by Wellington-based thoroughbred owner-breeder Lib Petagna under his JML Bloodstock Limited banner.
He is the first foal out of the Charm Spirit mare Lovecharm and was originally offered for sale at last year’s Karaka yearling sales but failed to make the $80,000 reserve.
Lovecharm only raced three times for a third but her dam, Fast Love, had 17 starts for four wins, a second and four thirds.
Her victories included the Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton and she also finished third in the Listed Metropolitan Trophy (2500m).
Zorero’s win was the start of a good day for owner Lib Petagna, whose green and blue colours were also carried to victory by Ammirati in a 1560m maiden race at the Rotorua meeting.
The success also added to a fantastic weekend for the stallion Per Incanto, a resident sire at Masterton’s Little Avondale Stud.
Zorero and Leica Pearl were Per Incanto-sired winners at Waipukurau while the stallion was also represented by the winners To The Max and Sixth Generation at Rotorua.
But undoubtedly the highlight for the weekend for Per Incanto was Jimmysstar’s win in the Group 1 NZ$1.1million C F Orr Stakes at Caulfield last Saturday and that Evaporate, another son of Per Incanto, finished third in the 1400m feature.
Jimmysstar cemented his position among the top level of Australian sprinters with is third Group 1 success after explosive victories in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) and All Aged Stakes (1400m) last season.
The Ciaron Maher-trained gelding has gone on to perform at the highest level in Sydney this spring, running a gallant third from a wide draw in the A$20 million Group 1 The Everest (1200m) before returning to winning form in the A$3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m).
The winner of two of his three starts in New Zealand for Hastings trainer Guy Lowry, a majority share in Jimmysstar was sold to clients of leading Australian trainer Ciaron Maher and the chestnut has now gone on to amass more than A$6.6 million in stakes. He has recorded 11 wins and seven placings in a 23-race career.
Sunshine Ale’s win stuns even her owner
Hawke’s Bay thoroughbred owner-breeder Mike Newrick was pleasantly surprised when his horse Sunshine Ale recorded a decisive win in a Rating 65 race over 1400m at Waipukurau last Sunday.
Sunshine Ale was having her second start back from a spell and Newrick said this week the mare’s Hastings trainers, Guy Lowry and Leah Zydenbos, thought she would need one more run before reaching her peak
Thus she was overlooked in the betting, returning a dividend of $27.60 for a win and $5.40 for a place.
“I was in shock when she won,” Newrick said.
“They thought she was still a bit too fresh and she did have a fair bit against her because she drew 12 out of 12 and was up against some pretty good horses.”
Sunshine Ale had managed to beat only one horse home when resuming from a spell over 1300m at Woodville on November 2 but her trainers had told Newrick to forget that run as nothing went right for her.
“She drew barrier four that day and got cut off when they jumped. It put her off-stride and she just did everything wrong after that,” Newrick added.
So drawing the extreme outside barrier at Waipukurau proved to be a blessing in disguise as Sunshine Ale was able to begin brilliantly and settled second in the running for apprentice rider Amber Ridell.
The leader Rabiga eased the pace going up the hill at the 800m peg and Sunshine Ale was able to join that runner in front rounding the home turn. She then surged to the lead half-way up the straight and kept up a strong finish to win by 1-1/4 lengths.
Newrick is the proprietor of the Elbow Room Bar in Hastings and said Sunshine Ale’s win added to what was a marvellous day for him and several of his patrons.
“We were in a marquee in the centre of the course and there was 25 of us from the Elbow Room. We had a lot of fun and it was a great day but unfortunately I told them not to back her (Sunshine Ale) because she was supposed to need the run.
“I didn’t even back her each-way myself but I did back her to finish in the Top4 so I got a small collect,” Newrick added.
Asterix back in a winning vein
Hawke’s Bay-owned Asterix returned to winning form after a long absence and picked up his first Australian victory when taking out the NZ$342,000 The Beauford Handicap (2300m) at last Saturday’s Newcastle meeting.
The seven-year-old Tavistock gelding, a $450,000 purchase from a Two-year-old Ready To Run sale, is raced by a group that includes two Havelock North couples, Sam and Birdie Kelt and Andrew and Lauren Scott, and former New Zealand cricket representative Mark Greatbatch.
Asterix won the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) as a three-year-old but had not graced the winner’s stall since he took out the Group 2 Avondale Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie in February of last year.
He was trained then by the Matamata partnership of Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott and went on to finish fourth in the 2024 running of the Auckland Cup (3200m) before being transferred to Australian trainer Chris Waller.
He was having his ninth start from the Waller stable last Saturday and
showed signs that he might be finding form with a close last-start fifth in the A$500,000 St Leger (2600m) at Randwick on October 18.
Rider Jason Collett positioned him just behind the pace in Saturday’s 2300m event before angling him into the clear at the top of the long Newcastle home straight. The gelding then showed his stamina by grinding out a length win over stablemate God’s Window.
Asterix has now had 23 starts for five wins and a third and has amassed A$923,671 in stakes.
Island Hop caps great day for Myers
Island Hop, part-owned by Hawke’s Bay’s Peter Grieve, completed a winning hat-trick for Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers when taking out the $65,000 Rating 75 race at last Saturday’s Canterbury meeting.
The 1600m race was the last event on the final day of the three-day New Zealand Cup meeting and Myers had also won the two previous races, the $65,000 Rating 65 race (2000m) with Bundy and the Group 3 $450,000 New Zealand Cup (3200m) with Bozo.
Island Hop was coming off an unlucky last start sixth over 1600m at Tauherenikau on November 1, where he reared at the start and lost all chance.
The Swiss Ace nine-year-old began better at Riccarton on Saturday but was still well back until half-way through the race.
Jockey Kelly Myers then started the gelding on a forward move around the field and they ranged up, wide out, rounding the home turn.
Island Hop was momentarily held up early in the straight but, once Myers managed to find a gap, he finished strongly to win by two lengths.
It was Island Hop’s seventh win from 40 starts and took his stake earnings to more than $160,000.
He was bred by Grieve in partnership with his Canterbury-based friend Barry Thomas and is out of the High Chaparral mare Chapinta, who won six races for the pair.