Classifieds

It may not have been by design, but Balcairn trainer Centaine Spittles got her hands back on the Gore Cup following In Vegas’ (NZ) (Telperion) win in the KB Contractors & MLT-sponsored 2200m feature at Wingatui on Saturday. The seven-year-old daughter of Telperion won the southern Cup at Gore last year and Spittles didn’t have any intention of her mare defending her crown, however, the race’s transfer to Wingatui following Gore’s abandonment last week opened up a window of opportunity. “We got a little bit lucky with them putting Gore off and transferring the Cup to Dunedin,” Spittles said. “I was never backing her up after Marlborough, we were always going to go to Dunedin (for the Dunedin Cup). That (abandonment) gave us a second chance to have a crack at that Cup.” In Vegas headed into the race in good form, having finished runner-up in the Kumara Gold Nuggets (1810m) and Marlborough Cup (2000m) last month, giving Spittles plenty of confidence heading south. From her outside barrier in the 10-horse field, In Vegas was taken back to settle at the rear of the field before jockey Akshay Balloo asked his charge to improve three-wide from the 800m. In Vegas loomed ominously at the turn and after balancing up she began to wear down the leaders, capturing the lead with 100m to go and dashed away to a 1-1/4 length victory over Generation Joy. “I was pretty confident with her going down and she ran up to what I expected,” Spittles said. “Akshay knows her really well. I thought she was pulling too hard in the running, but he got going right when he needed to.” The Gore Cup is the first leg of the Southern Cups Bonus Series where a $50,000 winner-takes-all bonus is up for grabs. In Vegas’ bid last year was curtailed by injury and Spittles is intent on chasing the cash on offer, with her next target being the Listed Positive Signs + Print Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) at Wingatui in a fortnight. “We are going to crack onto the Dunedin Cup and then all going well we might as well go for the final and then give her a freshen-up after that,” Spittles said. “Last year we planned on doing the series because she won the Gore Cup, but she got hurt coming home so we will have another go at it this year.” A $500 purchase off gavelhouse.com, In Vegas has proven to be an astute buy for Spittles, with the mare having won seven and placed in 10 starts to date and has earned more than $217,000 in prizemoney. “She has been great,” Spittles said. “She has taken a bit of time and tests your patience at times, but those ones are always worth it.” Spittles was also pleased with the runner-up performance of stablemate Flower Moon (NZ) (All Too Hard) in the Otago Engineering (1400m). A fellow gavelhouse graduate, Flower Moon, a daughter of stakes winner Silver Eclipse, was purchased by Spittles off Pencarrow Stud for $8,000. She has won three races for Spittles and more than $60,000 in prizemoney, and the North Canterbury horsewoman was pleased with her effort on Saturday. “The draw (15) didn’t help her that much, but she just seems to be a better mare when she keeps rolling around them,” Spittles said. “It was a tough run but the winner beat her fair and square. “She is another one that is back in form. She will probably go to Ashburton in two weeks over 1400m and we may step her up to a mile somewhere to see if she can get the distance.” View the full article

Trelawney Stud’s Australian import Miss Jones (Deep Field) continued her faultless New Zealand form at Te Rapa on Saturday when extending her unbeaten sequence to four following her victory in the Horses & Henley Park 1200. Purchased as a yearling by the farm’s former manager Kevin “Millie” Walls, under his KPW Bloodstock banner, Miss Jones began her career in Australia for the Cambridge farm with trainers Richard and Will Freedman, for whom she placed in six of her 10 starts. Trelawney Stud principals Brent and Cherry Taylor thought she may be better placed in New Zealand and decided to bring her across the Tasman and entrusted her to the care of Matamata trainer Cody Cole last spring. She has thrived in the rural environment of his Waikato property and showcased that first-up when clearing maidens at Ellerslie in December. She has been perfectly placed in her subsequent outings, contesting three MAAT races and she has brought home a winning cheque on each occasion. The daughter of Deep Field was backing up just a week after her last start at Trentham and that was her connections only concern heading into Saturday, but she was able to hold off the late challenge of a luckless Sarti, who was hampered early in the race, to win by a head. “She was really tough,” Cherry Taylor said. “I thought if she was going to get beaten it would have been today on a short back-up. “He (Cole) has done an amazing job with her. She is a filly that is not easy. The Freedman boys did a great job with her (in Australia) but she really likes being trained out of the paddock, so it has been perfect to bring her back here and get those wins on the board as a broodmare in the future.” Miss Jones will now head to the spelling paddock on a high, with her connections now hatching a plan to tackle some stakes targets with their mare as they set their sights towards her future broodmare career. “She is going to the paddock now for a well-deserved spell and we will bring her back and hopefully get some black-type with her,” Taylor said. While bought on their behalf by their former farm manager, Miss Jones also has a connection to Trelawney Stud’s current manager, Callum Jones, with the mare named after his daughter. “She is named after Vienna Jones, Callum, our manager’s daughter,” Taylor said. “She is out of Vienna Miss, so we thought Miss Jones was perfect. Vienna was super excited to see her win.” View the full article

Progressive three-year-old That’s Gold (Lucky Vega) never left the inside rail as he stormed home to collect his richest career win in the $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The Chris Wood-prepared son of Lucky Vega hasn’t shied away from tackling the best of his age group in his current preparation having taken out the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) three starts ago before finishing fifth to Well Written in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) and third behind Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) contender Chilling Out at his most recent performance. Wood has made no secret of his regard for his charge and gave rider Sam Collett a clear plan before the race, which she followed to the letter. “I thought drawn (barrier) one he had to be hard to beat,” Wood said. “I said to her don’t dig him up too much as he will get over-racing as we are trying to get him to settle as we head towards those 2000m and more races.” Bounced away quickly at the start by Collett, That’s Gold enjoyed a perfect trail behind Thorax before sticking hard against the running rail turning for home. Eventual runner-up Rambling On issued his challenge wider out as That’s Gold hit the front at the 200m and the pair went to the line locked together, with That’s Gold securing the line by a head at the winning post. Wood wasn’t afraid to shed a tear as he thanked his owners and stable staff for the contribution they have made to the horse. “It’s a huge, huge thrill and I’m over the moon,” he said. “His work this week has been exceptional. He has a great syndicate of owners and I have to thank them, my staff at home who are incredible, and my farrier. “I have a lot of good people around me who are a big help and it was also a lovely ride by Sam.” Wood noted the horse would now head to the Gr.2 Eagle Technology Avondale Guineas (2200m) at Ellerslie on 21 February before contesting the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) a fortnight later. Collett was delighted with the run given her mount was up against quite a few older runners. “He is only a three-year-old and there were quite a few four-year-olds in the race with more experience,” she said. “He showed what he can do and he is a much better chaser, so I had a bunny to follow today, the rail opened up and he did the rest. “He quickened really well and he has just kept improving on his Derby path.” That’s Gold was purchased by Wood alongside Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Catheryne Bruggeman for A$57,500 out of the Yulong draft at the 2024 Inglis Premier Sale. He has now won three of his 14 starts and over $287,000 in prizemoney. View the full article

Good tipping with Heza loch, must be Kyle Cameron's first win for some time, unless ones slipped past me, very good dividend, obviously given the horse some time being a 6yr old, adelphi storm went good race for new owners.

Plutarch, who had placed in three stakes, including two on the turf, proved best of Bob Baffert's three entrants and defeated Intrepido to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) Feb. 7 at Santa Anita Park.View the full article