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Baffert’s Other Horse Wins Palos Verdes
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By Chief Stipe · Posted
Nope. What's the takeout on Pokies? -
In terms of percentage that's only true for Lotto. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
The horse who has provided Star Thoroughbreds with its most significant moment on the racetrack this season is just weeks away from her first barrier trial. All options are on the table for Australian Derby winner Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) this spring, including a potential tilt at the country’s weight-for-age championship. The filly was among the stars of the Sydney autumn carnival, finishing a desperately unlucky second to Broadsiding in the Rosehill Guineas before thumping her rivals to claim the Derby by more than five lengths. Syndicator Denise Martin of Star Thoroughbreds is content to leave Aeliana’s spring programming to trainer Chris Waller but says she is excited by what the filly might be able to achieve. “Chris has reported that she has returned extremely well. She has strengthened and matured and developed nicely,” Martin said. “Her spring program is nowhere near finalised but she will most likely barrier trial at the end of July and have a second barrier trial a couple of weeks later. “Then we will most likely look at a couple of options towards the end of August. The Winx Stakes and the Memsie (Stakes). “But after that there are options such as the Makybe Diva at Flemington, the Turnbull (Stakes), Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate.” Aeliana delivered Star Thoroughbreds its first Derby triumph and Martin described the rising four-year-old’s progression as “a rose opening”. She was particularly delighted to win a classic as she said they didn’t generally target staying types at the yearling sales. “We were elated because I couldn’t have believed I would have purchased a Derby winner,” Martin said. “We would normally buy horses that are sprinter-milers or maybe 2000-metre horses. “I said to Chris (Waller) the Monday after the Derby – the Caulfield Cup? And he said, ‘we’ll see’. “Wherever he goes with this horse, I’m going.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
The heartbreak of Trentham was well and truly healed for the connections of Smug (NZ) (Complacent) at Woodville on Sunday, when the rising star came out on top in a stirring edition of the Glenanthony Simmentals Stud Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m). The son of Complacent was initially capable hurdler and placed in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m) last season, but when he switched into the steeplechasing role for the first time last month, he looked right at home. Smug made every post a winner in that debut, until disaster struck, when his rider confused the two open-rail gaps and took the wrong route out of the figure-eight course at Trentham. The horse was disqualified and jockey Michael Roustoby went for a three-meeting suspension, alongside two other riders that had followed suit. His trainer Chris Wood was understandably disappointed with the outcome, but having seen Smug’s ability in that effort, he decided to press onto the feature, where Smug was right in the market, closing a $6.30 third-elect behind Jakama Krystal ($3.60) and champion jumper West Coast ($5.60). In similar fashion to his debut, Smug was out in front early, jumping beautifully with his ears pricked under Mathew Gillies. He got into a good rhythm lobbing along inside of Izymydaad, with West Coast settling in the trail. Gillies ramped up the tempo entering the third and final lap and it wasn’t long before his rivals began to tire, and suddenly Smug and West Coast were a mile in front, setting up a grandstand finish for the big crowd. Smug had a life when brushing through the penultimate fence, but Gillies didn’t flinch, pressing onto the final jump, and the pair flew it in unison. Neither would give an inch in the last 100m, but Smug kicked up in the shadows of the post to take a thrilling contest by a neck. Wood had contemplated starting in the maiden steeplechase earlier in the day, but elected to go for the $75,000 prize and was rapt to pull it off. “When we put the horse in the race, we were umming and arring about whether we would go for the maiden steeplechase instead,” he said. “But, I spoke to the owner and he said, when you put two and two together, he wouldn’t have been a maidener anymore, so he deserved his chance to run in the big race. “I fully agreed, and that’s what we decided to do. Unfortunately Michael was suspended and missed out on the ride, but that’s the racing game, it has ups and downs, as we all know. “He’s just thrived since that run at Wellington, he’s done everything right and he’s a happy horse. I couldn’t ask for much more. “I’d like to thank Mish Lines for looking after him, she used to work for me but is trying something else in her career now. She loves Smug and he loves her, she took him down to Wellington for me and again to Fielding this time. “She looks after him like a king.” The win was Smug’s second in 47 starts, and Wood believes the seven-year-old has found his sweet spot over the bigger fences. “He struggled in the hurdle races because he just didn’t quite have the pace to keep up, but with the slightly slower tempo in the steeplechases, I think he’s found his niche in life,” he said. “I think we’ll have to go to the Great New Zealand Steeplechase, he’ll go to Te Aroha in a couple of weeks’ time and we’ll map out a plan from there.” Bred by Simms Davison of Mapperley Stud, Smug is raced by Ron and Maryanne Thompson. “Ron is about 82, and he’s had a horse in work every month of his life since he was 20 years of age,” Wood said. “He still loves the racing and is a very good owner. “I inherited him when Tony Gillies gave up from training, they came knocking on my door and that was very kind of them.” The result continued a successful riding return for Gillies this year, having taken out the Waikato Hurdle (3200m) last month aboard Dictation. “Chris gave me a lot of support back in the day, when I gave up riding and worked for him over in Aussie,” Gillies said. “It was good to be able to pay him back today. “Michael Roustoby gave me good instructions, which were much appreciated. The horse was game and if it was live fences he would’ve won by further, he likes those more. “When I watched him at Wellington, he was making two lengths at every fence. They just couldn’t stay with him, and I think he’ll be even more promising once he gets back over those live ones in those good races later on. “I knew West Coast had the heavyweight and I thought, if I could stay next to him, I can wear him back. He had the upper hand after the second-last, but it just shows how tough Smug is, he came back really well. “It was good to see West Coast show that form too.” It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the talented hoop, having had a brief injury lay-off following a fall at Te Rapa on the same day, but he said that comes part and parcel when riding over fences. “It’s good to get back and get back out here doing it, those ups and downs are what jumps racing is all about,” he said. “As long as you can handle that, then you can carry on.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Gail Temperton’s emerging talent Never Look Back (NZ) (Shocking) conquered two of the stars in New Zealand jumps racing when taking out Sunday’s Te Whangai Romneys Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3000m) at Woodville. A winner of four flat races, Never Look Back had been a consummate professional in his jumping debut in mid-May, but had mixed his jumping in the Manawatu Hurdles (2500m) and Waikato Hurdle (3200m), albeit still finishing fifth in the latter. The market was a slight reflection of those results, with the son of Shocking drifting from $5.50 to $8, while all the focus was narrowed in on dual-Grand National winner Berry The Cash, and Happy Star, who was making a much-anticipated return to jumping after two years off the scene. Jumping from an inside draw, Never Look Back negotiated the first fence beautifully under Emily Farr, who allowed him to settle into a rhythm in midfield, while the big-striding Taika found the early lead. After being slow away, Saint Bernard was over-racing and found himself in front, setting a decent pace. The pressure really dialled up at the 800m and Happy Star cruised into contention, hitting the lead turning for home and giving his rivals something to catch. Berry The Cash was making up ground through the field, but the big danger was Never Look Back, who came level with Happy Star over the last and had the extra edge late to score by three quarters of a length. While all honours went to the Foxton galloper, Happy Star and Berry The Cash certainly lost no admirers, with the latter also closing strongly into third. Temperton bred and races Never Look Back alongside her partner Stanley Alexander and well-known racing identity Christopher Grace, and she was quietly confident coming into the feature. “He’s a wonderful horse, Stan and I bred him and we raced his mother, so it feels super,” she said. “I actually thought he could do that, and the reason I thought he could do it was because he’s won four races on the flat, and I thought he was the fastest horse in the race. But when they began, they were going so fast, so my confidence went out the window. “It came back on the turn, and I had told Emily, on this track, you get going at the 600, and she did exactly that. She was wonderful.” Farr, who is narrowing in on her 100th winning ride, was delighted with the result and credited Temperton’s pre-race tactics. “I thought he was a lot bigger horse than he actually is,” she said. “Gail said to jump out and hold your position, and just see how you go. I was thinking there would be a lot of pace on, there were a few frontrunners, so I thought I would sit here and ride him how I find him. She said to get going at the 600 and as long as I’m thereabouts, he should come home. “To be fair, she was absolutely right, and he was just superb.” The Waikato hoop was having her first ride aboard Never Look Back, and noted how much he’d improved through recent runs. “One thing I noticed from his replays was that he chucked his head up a little bit and got a bit fractious, but he must’ve learnt so much in the last couple of runs,” she said. “He was easy today.” Never Look Back was the third foal out of a two-win Johar mare Pirentete, who has been a success in the broodmare paddock. Alongside the $150,000 earner, she has produced stakes performer Tamahine, three-race winner Knickerless, and Jolting, a winner of four races in Australia. Her most recent progeny to salute on the track was First Love, a trial winner on home soil before being sold to Hong Kong. View the full article
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