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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Bold Soul, ridden by Michael Dee, scores his seventh career win at Flemington. (Photo: Bruno Cannatelli) The Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained Bold Soul has been a consistent performer right through the winter months and notched another win at Flemington when prevailing on Saturday. With a muddling tempo early in the staying contest, Bold Soul was initially caught deep before settling into a rhythm for returning rider Mick Dee and showed the benefit of racing when defeating the resuming Changingoftheguard. Dee has recently returned from a stint in Japan and was delighted to get a winner at his first day back at headquarters with Bold Soul overcoming a niggly barrier of seven in the eight-horse field. “It panned out a little bit differently to what I thought,” Dee said. “I thought we were just going to slide across nicely but a couple kicked up on the inside of me. I was lucky enough that they were in single file but one off the fence and we were able to get in down the back. “He travelled quite strongly after that, which he can do, and given the way he travelled and the (messy) first turn, it made for an even better win. “The tempo was steady most of the way but then it really amped up at the half mile. When the tempo increased he was able to maintain the gallop strongly on the bridle right the way into the straight and the way he was able to quicken and keep quickening right through the line, it was a great effort.” Now a five-year-old, Bold Soul was having his eighth start for the preparation and there might be more to come from the Plumpton-trained galloper who advanced his career earnings to $644,975 with seven wins and six placings from 21 starts. “You seem to be able to do that (keep them up) when you’re training them from the farm,” stable representative Neil Greaves said. “It was a terrific ride from Mick Dee and we had the opportunity to put him on with the horse well down in weight (54.5kg). “It is a great result for the whole stable. “At this stage, I couldn’t see any reason to give him a spell. These type of horses, these races pop up every two or three weeks at Flemington and they’re worth really good money. I think the team’s view is that if he is fit and well, we might as well run him.” The Group 3 Archer Stakes (2500m) at Flemington next month now looms as an option for the Kiwi import, who has now had three wins and two placings at the premier Melbourne track from seven starts. Horse racing news View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
The Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained Bold Soul (NZ) (Embellish) has been a consistent performer right through the winter months and notched another win at Flemington when prevailing in the VRC Membership Renewals Open (2530m) on Saturday. With a muddling tempo early in the staying contest, Bold Soul was initially caught deep before settling into a rhythm for returning rider Mick Dee and showed the benefit of racing when defeating the resuming Changingoftheguard (Galileo). Dee has recently returned from a stint in Japan and was delighted to get a winner at his first day back at headquarters with Bold Soul overcoming a niggly barrier of seven in the eight-horse field. “It panned out a little bit differently to what I thought,” Dee said. “I thought we were just going to slide across nicely but a couple kicked up on the inside of me. I was lucky enough that they were in single file but one off the fence and we were able to get in down the back. “He travelled quite strongly after that, which he can do, and given the way he travelled and the (messy) first turn, it made for an even better win. “The tempo was steady most of the way but then it really amped up at the half mile. When the tempo increased he was able to maintain the gallop strongly on the bridle right the way into the straight and the way he was able to quicken and keep quickening right through the line, it was a great effort.” Now a five-year-old, Bold Soul was having his eighth start for the preparation and there might be more to come from the Plumpton-trained galloper who advanced his career earnings to A$644,975 with seven wins and six placings from 21 starts. “You seem to be able to do that (keep them up) when you’re training them from the farm,” stable representative Neil Greaves said. “It was a terrific ride from Mick Dee and we had the opportunity to put him on with the horse well down in weight (54.5kg). “It is a great result for the whole stable. “At this stage, I couldn’t see any reason to give him a spell. These type of horses, these races pop up every two or three weeks at Flemington and they’re worth really good money. I think the team’s view is that if he is fit and well, we might as well run him.” The Gr.3 Archer Stakes (2500m) at Flemington next month now looms as an option for the Kiwi import who has now had three wins and two placings at the premier Melbourne track from seven starts. Bold Soul was bred by Te Keeti Bloodstock and bought out of their Book 2 draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale by Hamish Auret for $20,000. He was a jump-out winner for the Wanganui horseman before his sale and relocation to Payne’s Victorian operation. Bold Soul is by Cambridge Stud stallion Embellish and out of the Irish-bred Singspiel mare Twin Soul, who was successful on three occasions up to 2400m. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Steeplechasing sensation Jesko (NZ) (Atlante) made his debut over the big Riccarton fences a winning one when he triumphed in a three-way finish to Saturday’s Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Koral Steeplechase (4250m). Unbeaten in his three steeplechase events to date, including victory in the Wellington Steeplechase (4900m) at Trentham last month, the Shaun and Hazel Fannin-trained eight-year-old was sent out at the microscopic quote of $1.30 in the Fixed Odds market for the traditional warm-up to the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) in seven days’ time. Punters who installed him as the raging hot favourite had no reason for concern through most of the journey as Fannin had him sitting in second behind free-going pacemaker Nedwin (NZ) (Niagara) with the topweight West Coast (NZ) (Mettre En Jeu) on his outer. The pressure went on with 800m to run as Jesko angled out of the trail to issue a challenge to Nedwin; however, it was relative outsider Captains Run who took advantage of that move to sneak through on the inner with two fences to clear. Captains Run (NZ) (Nom du Jeu) and Jesko set down to fight out the finish as West Coast threatened to join the pair at the last however Jesko cleared the fence in style before surging away in the run to the post to hit the line three lengths clear of Captains Run, with West Coast impressing under his 73kg impost to finish third. Hazel Fannin was delighted with the horse and the ride by her husband. “It was a beautiful ride, he travelled really well and it was that turn of foot at the end which made it so convincing,” Fannin said. “It was good to see going into next week. “We talked about it (race tactics) during the week and it was good to see Shaun followed them to the letter, so I’m very happy.” Shaun Fannin relayed he had always felt comfortable throughout the journey but did get a wake-up call when Captains Run joined in when the pressure went on. “It was a great finish and when we jumped Jumbo (second last fence) Captains Run sprinted quite quickly and we were flat for a couple of strides,” he said. “I think it shows his (Jesko) staying ability as he came off the bridle and found again late. “He caught the last fence super and came away nicely. “He can get pretty wound up before a race and this will bring him on nicely as well as having a look at those fences as he backed off a few. “When he got that competition he dug deep which is what you want to see. He found plenty late and he has always given the inkling he wants to go further, which is good for next week.” A son of Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner Atlante, Jesko was purchased by Fannin for just $3,300 off Gavelhouse.com in 2021 and has now won eight races from just 24 starts and over $202,000 in prizemoney. – View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Exciting jumper Dictation (NZ) (Tavistock) exacted a large measure of revenge for a costly last fence blunder twelve months ago when he dashed away with Saturday’s Avon City Ford Sydenham Hurdles (3100m) at Riccarton. The Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal-prepared eight-year-old had the 2024 version of the race in apparent safekeeping when he botched the last fence and dropped jockey Hamish McNeill. With Matthew Gillies now his regular pilot, the 2025 version of the son of Tavistock has proved he is right up there with best in the hurdling game having taken out the Waikato Hurdle (3200m) back in June. On that day Gillies adopted positive tactics by sitting handy to the pace throughout and repeated that on Saturday by taking Dictation to the front and running his rivals along. It was obvious with 800m to run he was the horse to beat and despite topweight Berry The Cash (NZ) (Jakkalberry) trying valiantly to close in the run home under his 73kg impost, Dictation was going strongly as he handled the last obstacle with aplomb to dash away for a four-and-a-half-length victory. Nelson had been a little concerned pre-race that his charge was a run short entering the contest but had little to be worried about as he looks towards next week’s Hospitality NZ Canterbury Grand National Hurdles (4200m). “I definitely left it (the tactics) to Matt and I wondered what he was doing, but the horse was going pretty well and very kindly,” Nelson said. “I was thinking he had gone a bit quickly but the horse did it so well. “He will be better again next week as that will have taken some of the gloss off him. “He has done well and is a bloody nice horse.” The softly spoken Gillies noted he was keen to get near the front and decided to take up the pacemaking duties after seeing how well Dictation handled the early fences. “Paul said to be forward and he jumped the first three fences so well he just put himself there,” he said. “There was no point easing him down, so he had a breather down the back straight then kicked on again. “I do think if something had come up alongside him there was another gear there. “He jumped his fences well and ran away in the end. He doesn’t have to lead and I would expect next time they won’t let me get away with what we did today.” Bred by the Dowager Duchess of Bedford and raced by the I See Red Syndicate, Dictation has won just shy of $173,000 with seven victories from just 34 starts. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Local trainers Kevin and Stephen Gray will head to Awapuni on Sunday with a spring in their step as they get set to line-up two live chances in the $100,000 Japac Homes Polytrack Championship (1400m). Exciting sprinter Cosentino will be the leading light for the stable, having won two of his last three starts on the track, and finished in a dead heat for second in his other outing. Stephen Gray has plenty of time for the four-year-old son of El Roca, and while he has yet to be tested over further than 1200m, he believes he should have no problem over the extra ground. “Over 1200m he would be extremely hard to beat, but we didn’t want to take him down south, he is only a young horse, and we think on the grass he will be even better,” Gray said. “He will run really well.” He will be ridden by in-form hoop Bruno Queiroz from barrier 14, and he sits atop of the TAB market at $2.70 ahead of the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained Stonybreck at $5.50. “The wide draw is a bit of a concern, but it is what it is,” Gray said. Following Sunday’s run, Gray is looking forward to testing his charge on the grass when tracks improve. “He is a sharp horse and a strong headed horse, and I think by running him on the all-weather in better ground he has just got his confidence,” he said. “In his last start I thought he was impressive the way he did it. I think he has got a good future in time, he has just mentally been a really difficult, tough horse.” The stable will also be represented in the $100,000 feature by Tears Of Victory, who has won her last two starts on the track, and will be ridden by apprentice jockey Toni Davies from barrier four. “Tears Of Victory has done nothing wrong and she has been running well,” Gray said. “She has got a light weight and a good barrier draw, so she will be right there in the finish.” On the undercard, Gray is looking forward to Exaggeration lining up in the Checkhome Building Inspections 1400 and Toronto making their debut in the Courtesy Ford Manawatu 1000. Exaggeration won on debut at the track last month before being beaten by stablemate Tears Of Victory a fortnight ago, and Gray is expecting him to add to his winning tally this weekend. “He should have beaten the mare the other day, he was just probably held up for a long time,” Gray said. “He is a very good horse. “I have run him on the all-weather to keep him off the bog tracks and keep him in work, and it is nice that he gets into a $25,000 race against his own grade with a good barrier draw (3) and jockey (Bruno Queiroz). The horse is going to be hard to beat.” Gray is also upbeat about Toronto’s chances. “He is a very promising horse that I brought back from Singapore, and he had an injury problem over there,” he said. “He has immense potential. “I don’t want to run him on a bog track, I think that the all-weather is good for him. He will be in the first three for sure.” View the full article
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