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Answer the question you negative Nelly,As the leader of the Tangerine army you should know your form.
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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Yulong Investments has made a splash in New Zealand this season, buying up the nation’s leading three-year-old filly talent, and they were once again rewarded at Ellerslie on Saturday when sealing the quinella in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m). The burgeoning thoroughbred giant’s silks have been prominent at Ellerslie this season through the deeds of their undefeated Group One winner and $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) favourite Well Written, and they were once again to the fore at the Auckland track on Saturday when their exciting staying prospect Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park) beat home another recent purchase in Autumn Glory in the Oaks. The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained filly was ridden off the speed, three from the back, for much of the journey, and looked in a lot of strife when turning for home, but jockey Joe Doyle kept a cool head and guided his charge out wide where she was able to show her class when powering over the top of her rivals to win by 2-1/4 lengths over Autumn Glory. “She is proper horse, that is the best way to describe her after watching that performance,” O’Sullivan said. “It was a no panic ride by Joe, I think I was panicking a bit more watching from the grandstand. When Joe came from the outside I thought she has got a long way to make up but she did it and did it with some sort of ease. “She is just going to go from strength to strength, she is certainly going to be winning more big races in the future. She wouldn’t look out of place in Australia. We have always believed in the filly from day dot and that performance today was pretty special.” While her future may lie across the Tasman, the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) on Champions Day at Ellerslie in a fortnight looms as an enticing target, but O’Sullivan said they will wait for the dust to settle before making any concrete plans. “She will decide for us,” he said. “We will sit down with connections during the week and have a chat, but we will be doing what we think is best for her.” Doyle was euphoric after the victory, labelling Ohope Wins as the best three-year-old he has sat on. “When you get to ride a horse that good, nothing compares,” he said. “She has been trained to the minute. “We were a long way back, but when you are riding one that good they can just overcome all those things – the draw is never an excuse, the ground is never an excuse. She was just too good. “She still feels like she has got so much left, I couldn’t even pull her up. She is absolutely exceptional, I have not ridden a three-year-old like her.” A decision on the New Zealand Derby is yet to be made, by Doyle believes pressing on to challenge the boys in the Champions Day Classic is a no-brainer. “When are you going to get a better opportunity?” he said. Already a $3 favourite for the Derby pre-race, Ohope Wins has now shortened into a $1.60 favourite on the TAB’s New Zealand Derby futures market following her Oaks performance, while Yulong’s Well Written heads the NZB Kiwi market at $1.20. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
What a difference three weeks has made in the life of rugged stayer Final Return (NZ) (Reliable Man). The durable son of the ill-fated Westbury Stud stallion Reliable Man had held the start up for over five minutes at his last run at Ellerslie due to a pre-race issue with the bandages he wears when racing in the right-handed direction. Despite the upset that day, the seven-year-old had gone a top race for trainer Janelle Millar and stripped even fitter on Saturday for his tilt at the time-honoured Gr.3 Eagle Technology Avondale Cup (2400m). Punters overlooked the chances of the 2025 Gr.3 Counties Cup (2100m) winner to their ultimate peril as regular pilot Chris Dell had the $34 chance travelling nicely in midfield during the running despite having to sit three wide throughout. Dell crept forward on his mount at the 800m and was soon disputing the pace with leaders Just Charlie and Diamond Jak before drawing clear turning for home. Left a sitting duck in front with 400m to run Final Return never flinched as he held out the determined challenge of Aussie visitor Brayden Star by a short head at the line, with Just Charlie fighting on doggedly for third just ahead of the fast-finishing Kiwi Skyhawk. Millar cut an emotional figure as she praised her charge and his never-say-die attitude. “It is so satisfying and I will never get sick of this as I’m just so proud,” Millar said. “Chris did what I thought he would do as there were a couple on paper that would go forward and I knew we would take some time to get over (closer to the rail). “He moved at the right time and he rode him just so well. “This was our aim as the stepping stone to the Auckland Cup (Gr.2, 3200m) in a fortnight. “He went into this race last year and didn’t have a very good trip and this year he is a bit stronger and is doing everything right. “Being by Reliable Man, who died yesterday, it was a bit sad, so we told him he was flying the flag for his Dad.” Dell was also battling tears as he thanked Millar for her help in resurrecting his riding career. “Janelle has helped me resurge (sic) my career,” he said. “I had John Sargent supporting me when I was an apprentice and then I went through a flat spot with a broken leg and a brain injury. “My move to the Central Districts in 2020 has been the resurgence of my career and Janelle has been so supportive, as if I ride them at the trials or in trackwork for her, she puts me on and we get results like this. “Kudos to Janelle and the horse. “He has been screaming out for this sort of distance and his consistency in these races has been just so good, I let Opie Bosson (Brayden Star) cross me and I knew following him wasn’t too bad. “He dropped 5kgs (on his last race) and I knew this guy doesn’t have the best turn of foot, so I took off early and put the pressure on as I knew he wasn’t going to stop.” By Reliable Man, who was humanely euthanised at his Westbury Stud home on Friday after failing to overcome post-surgery complications following the removal of a melanoma, Final Return has now won over $432,000 from four career victories over his 28-start career. TAB Bookmakers have installed him as a $6 Fixed Odds chance behind favourite Brayden Star ($3.50) for the Auckland Cup at Ellerslie on Saturday 7 March. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Acknowledged as one of the unluckiest horses going around in New Zealand, Jaarffi (NZ) (Iffraaj) finally got the good fortune she deserved and her first Group One victory when she stormed home to take out the Sport Nation Otaki Maori WFA Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie. The six-year-old daughter of Iffraaj, who carries the colours of Cambridge Stud principals Sir Brendan Lindsay and Lady Jo Lindsay, has been amongst the top echelon of gallopers in New Zealand for the past two years but had been denied a victory at the elite level on several occasions due to poor barrier draws, interference at crucial times and unsuitable track conditions amongst a host of contributing factors. Whilst another wide barrier (nine of 11) on Saturday didn’t look promising once again, it played in favour of the Lance Noble-prepared mare as it allowed rider Warren Kennedy to keep her out of trouble in midfield where she sat three wide but in a totally relaxed manner. Kennedy began to move her forward with 800m to run and she was within striking distance of the leaders rounding the home bend as race favourite Pier made his bid for glory, hotly pursued by Sterling Express. Just as Pier looked to have the race within his grasp, Jaarffi put in several massive bounds to collar him in the shadows of the post to take the win from the favourite, who held out the late closing run of Provence who snatched third off Sterling Express. Noble was especially pleased for everyone connected with the mare who had to exhibit untold patience with her. “Obviously I am absolutely thrilled as she did deserve this,” Noble said. “She is not an easy mare to train and to achieve this after all the work the staff have put in over the last few years, along with Warren, and for Sir Brendan and Lady Jo, it is just brilliant. “She got trapped three wide but she has started to relax a lot better out there and probably best she was not stuck on the fence getting into trouble. “We all do the work for these days and you don’t get many opportunities at them, so to get this for the whole team is just brilliant. “She has always been a big, gangly and aggressive horse on the training track, so we don’t do a lot of galloping with her, and while she is a six-year-old she is still learning. “The plan is to go onto the Bonecrusher Stakes (Gr.1, 2000m) in a fortnight (7 March) and all being well we will.” Kennedy was also quick to pay tribute to the fighting qualities of the mare. “She has been deserving (of a Group One victory) for a while now and we thought she could pick one up in this preparation,” he said. “She has just been so unlucky and she did it tough the whole way today. “She has got such a huge action and so much heart as she gave it her all today and fought like a tiger. “I wasn’t too concerned when we were wide as she is such a huge striding filly it allowed her to extend when I wanted to. “Pier gave me a good tussle but she deserved this.” Bred and raced by Cambridge Stud, Jaarffi has now won five of her 24 starts and over $953,000 in prizemoney. View the full article
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