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Friday’s Racing Insights: Half-Sister to Golden Pal Debuts Sprinting Over Santa Anita Grass
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Unzip Me Stakes Renamed in Honor of John Harris
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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray elected to take a detour to Pukekohe on Sunday with their Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) bound filly Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma), and it looks to have paid off. The Oaks Stud-bred and raced filly also accepted for the Gr.3 NZB Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) a day prior, but following a week of wet weather coupled with the long journey south to Trentham, the Cambridge trainers elected for a target closer to home. “It was hard with the weather and the rain coming in,” Murray said. “It is a big call to make to head seven-hours down the road compared to an hour-and-a-bit up here, so I think we made the right call.” The Pukekohe hit-out also gave Tajana another look around a right-handed track, which she will be faced with in the Oaks, with its shift north to Ellerslie next month. Pitted against just three other runners in the MyRacehorse 1600 on Sunday, it proved to be a tactically run affair, with jockey George Rooke initially dropping back to settle off the pace at the tail of the field with Tajana. The daughter of Darci Brahma then progressed into the one-one position before Rooke presented her three-wide at the turn. Tajana quickly bounded to the lead with 300m to go, but began to switch off in the concluding stages, with Lunaman closing late to get within a neck of the victor. “She does that, she gets to the front a bit too soon and she switches off,” Murray said. “I am very happy going forward anyway. “We are glad that we came here today to give her a bit of a soft kill, which wasn’t that soft in the end, I had to wipe my brow when I saw that one (Lunaman) coming after us.” It was Tajana’s first run since her unplaced performance in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November, and Murray believes she will take plenty of benefit from the run as she steps up in distance to the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2100m) at Te Rapa on February 7, before her main assignment of the Oaks a fortnight later. “We will go forward to the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic now, as long as she pulls up okay, and we will go from there to the Oaks,” Murray said. “We think the more distance she gets the better she is going to get. We are quietly confident heading up to 2000m-plus.” Rooke was pleased with the win but admitted she hit the lead too early. “She hit the front way too soon and she started pulling up on me in the last 50m, but she is very good,” he said. “She has come back, she is not blowing, she looks fantastic, she is a lot bigger in front, and going further won’t be a problem.” Tajana has now won four and placed in three of her nine starts to date, including victories in the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and Gr.3 Sunline Vase (1400m), and placings in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m) and Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), and she has earned more than $260,000 in prizemoney. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
This time last year Stratford trainer Gavin Sharrock experienced the hype of Karaka Millions week with his then two-year-old Daylight Robbery, and 12 months on he is hoping two of his stablemates can successfully launch their bids towards the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) in March. Homebred gelding Country Salon (NZ) (Darci Brahma) will be first-up in the Race Images 1340 at Wanganui on Monday, where Sharrock expects him to be competitive following his runner-up trial over 1200m at Foxton earlier this week. “He is very well in himself,” Sharrock said. “I was really rapt with his trial at Foxton and I think he will go pretty close to winning tomorrow.” Stakes-placed at two, the son of Darci Brahma was fifth in both the Listed Wanganui Guineas (1200m) and Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) last spring, and Sharrock is looking forward to stepping him up over ground following Monday’s run. “He is tracking towards the Derby,” he said. “I will give him a mile somewhere and then we will go to the Avondale Guineas (Gr.2, 2100m) on the 21st of February.” Sharrock also has Derby aspirations with stablemate Brave Rebel (NZ) (Tivaci), who is set to line-up at New Plymouth this coming Saturday. The Tivaci gelding won his maiden over a mile at New Plymouth last month before finishing runner-up behind Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) hopeful The Precursor over the same track and distance just after Christmas. “Brave Rebel is heading that way (NZ Derby) as well,” Sharrock said. “He will race in a (rating) 65 2000m at New Plymouth next Saturday and we will see how he goes then. He was a pretty good second to The Precursor and I see he is heading towards the Auckland Cup.” Sharrock will also head to Wanganui with three other runners on Monday, with Erbys Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma), Porotene Tiger (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and Flagship (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) all set to contest the Carpet Maintenance & Cleaning Maiden 3YO (1340m), however, the latter may be saved for another day after drawing the outside gate. “I have got three three-year-olds in there, I don’t know whether Flagship will start yet, he has drawn 17 out of 17, which makes it pretty hard, but the other two definitely will start,” Sharrock said. “Erbys Darci has been galloping well and he has come through his last start well, so hopefully he can put his foot in the till somewhere. “In his first-up run Porotene Tiger missed the jump by quite a bit and it put him right out of it, but he has progressed well since, so we will see how he goes tomorrow.” Meanwhile, Sharrock said Daylight Robbery (NZ) (Super Seth) has recently returned to work after undergoing surgery last year. “He cracked a cannon bone and he has had it screwed and has had three months convalescence,” Sharrock said. “He has just come back into the stable last week, so he won’t be around until the spring.” A $10,500 purchase out of Waikato Stud’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Online Yearling Sale draft on Gavelhouse.com, Daylight Robbery went on to win one and finish runner-up in two of his first three starts, which earned him a place in last year’s Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), giving Sharrock a memorable week in Auckland. “It was fantastic with the live draw and the build-up to it was a great hype,” he said. Daylight Robbery would finish seventh in the race and went on to post three consecutive fourth placings in the Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m), Wanganui Guineas and Hawke’s Bay Guineas before injury cut short his season. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Group One winning gelding War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel) will be seen in an early feature sprint when he lines up in the Gr.2 Australia Stakes (1200m) this Friday night. Usually run at Moonee Valley, this year’s edition will be run under lights at Southside Pakenham with the Moonee Valley track under reconstruction. War Machine announced himself as one of the top sprinters in the country winning the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in the Winter, resuming with an equally impressive victory in the Gr.2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) with 60kg in the Spring. The brilliance of those wins saw War Machine gain a slot in The Everest, for which he was sent out third favourite to Hong Kong champion Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress), finishing down the track there, and in the Russel Balding Stakes on a heavy track before a spell. Lindsay Park have fitted War Machine with two jump outs, winning his latest heat at Werribee under a hold and giving Ben, Will & Jd Hayes confidence he’d taken no ill effects from his trip to Sydney in the Spring. “He’s very good, and he’s on track to run in the Australia Stakes on January 23rd,” JD Hayes said. “The Sydney trips didn’t quite go to plan. The thing we’re holding onto is how brilliant he was first time down the straight, off that Queensland freshen as well. “We’re really happy with the order he’s presenting and trialling up in, and I thought at Werribee on Friday he showed us ready to run a really good race first up.” An official rating of 114 has made War Machine trickier to place now, but Hayes said options are open, whether they be at weight-for-age or not. “We’ll sort of see how he goes in the Australia Stakes and then we’re largely going to target him towards that traditional path through the autumn,” Hayes said. “Just with his rating, he’s got to stick to those weight-for-age classics, and we do think he’s probably going to be better suited getting slightly out in trip. Hayes said the Gr.1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) on February could fit the bill, but the stable would also assess War Machine’s potential weight in a Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) given his explosive win down the Flemington straight in the Gilgai Stakes. “It (the Newmarket) is certainly something that we will consider,” Hayes said. “I don’t know what weight he’d get but he has got a good track record down the straight. “So it’s definitely something worth considering, but we’ll see how he goes on Friday and pick the races accordingly for him.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Join a full team this week on Weigh In. Guy Heveldt, Aidan Rodley and Emily Murphy break down the action from stakes racing at Trentham. They also rewind back to last Sunday at Ellerslie where some key contenders went around ahead of Saturday’s Karaka Millions race night. Weigh In, January 18 View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Queensland trainer Liam Birchley is no stranger to success in the richest two-year-old race in New Zealand, the $1million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), and he is hoping to replicate the winning feeling next weekend as he prepares to line-up a pair of quality fillies in the Ellerslie dash for cash. Birchley produced Sister Havana (NZ) (General Nediym) to win the 2010 edition of the event and followed that up again in 2015 with Hardline (NZ) (Showcasing) after first finishing second with Sarge In Charge (NZ) (Golan) in 2009. His 2026 contenders are El Roca filly Dream Roca (NZ) (El Roca), a $75,000 purchase from the Westbury Stud Book 2 draft at Karaka last year along with Vanbrugh filly Vanzadee (NZ) (Vanbrugh), who he secured for $26,000 from the HGT Bloodstock Ltd draft in the same sale session. Both fillies won their last starts to secure their passage to Ellerslie, with Birchley finding it hard to split them on their latest work, which included a 1200m jumpout at the Sunshine Coast a week ago. “I don’t make a point of targeting this race for horses I buy from the Karaka Yearling Sale, preferring to train them the same and hope they put their hands up to take the opportunity and both of these fillies have done just that,” Birchley said. “With what they have shown me I am delighted I can bring them both to New Zealand and I think they will be pretty competitive. “We’ve ticked them along at home over Christmas with time on the water walker and the like and then gave them a hit out at the Sunshine Coast recently. “They went over 1200m and blew the cobwebs out which is exactly what I wanted. They were both pretty keen and kept up a good gallop so I’m delighted with them. “Funnily enough if you look at their pedigree on paper neither filly stands out as a sprinting type with Dream Roca out of a Redwood mare which suggests she will enjoy getting out past 1200m and Vanzadee is a Vanbrugh filly who should also be looking for more ground. “As it turns out they both have very good early speed, which is crucial for a two-year-old, and can maintain a strong gallop which will suit this race which tends to be won by horses that are strong in the closing stages.” Adding to Birchley’s confidence in his pair are the results from the beaten brigade they mastered during their race wins. “Vanzadee was fourth first-up but had a few issues with her tongue during the race so we put the tongue tie on and that worked the oracle in her next run,” he said. “She actually beat Double Cool that day and that filly stormed home for fourth in the Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast yesterday which is an excellent form reference. “Dream Roca also beat some handy types at Eagle Farm including Rarotonga who had won the race Vanzadee finished fourth in, so the form definitely stacks up.” Birchley will arrive in New Zealand on Sunday afternoon (18th January), as will his two runners, and has a busy week and a half ahead of him. “I get in on Sunday afternoon and the horses won’t be far behind,” he said. “I have them set to go to Ellerslie on Tuesday for the open trackwork session so they can get a good look around and then it will be fingers crossed for the barrier draw on Wednesday morning. “I’m hoping they can draw inside as the first 400m of the race can be pretty hectic and you can get on the back foot from a wide draw pretty quickly. “After that you just want some luck in running and hope they are up to the task.” While Birchley will be focussed on his two runners he also has a major role in looking after a massive group of owners that are making the trip from Australia for the race as well as spending time at Karaka for the 100th edition of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale series that kicks off on Sunday 25 January. “I love this week as it is such a good experience for everyone who comes to Karaka as New Zealand Bloodstock do a fabulous job,” he said. “It lets me show clients what goes on behind the scenes in obtaining a horse and I know so many of the people who have come across with me in the past have had a great time and keep coming back. “There are 40-something owners in Vanzadee, including my sister Colleen, and most of them are coming, while you will probably recognise several names involved with Dream Roca including Mark Baker from Hallmark Stud and Cameron George who used to be the Chief Executive at Ellerslie. “Cameron has quite a few friends and family in the horse so that is another big group who will be on-course and if we manage to get a win, the place will be rocking for sure.” View the full article
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