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    Observations for June 5

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    Hills Excited About Ascot

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    Ward Finalises Ascot Team

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    • Definitely looks like it needed a longer trip.
    • HENRY HUBBER (A Balloo) - Faltered when being pulled up after the race, with the rider immediately dismounting and the Veterinarian and horse ambulance quickly in attendance. HENRY HUBBER was found to have suffered a fracture to the near front sesamoid bones, being humanely euthanised as a result. A Balloo was excused from weighing in under Rule 647(1)
    • Race favourite Watersports (NZ) (Ocean Park), the half-sister to dual Group One winner Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj) made in three wins from her last four starts when she held out a determined late challenge from Maisy (Pierro)to take out the Benchmark 78 Good Friday Appeal Plate (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday. Rider Damian Lane had her beautifully positioned one out in third before tackling the leaders early in the long run home. Just as the daughter of Ocean Park looked to be cruising, Maisy appeared with her challenge and the pair went stride for stride to the line as Watersports gained the upper hand to win by a head. Trainer Archie Alexander had entertained thoughts of defeat when Maisy ranged alongside his charge but her toughness and determination won out in the end. “I held my hands up and thought ‘well, she’s run a super race but we’ll run second today’,” Alexander said. “She’s got that determination, got her head in front and the race went as we planned. “I had a chat to Damian this morning and it happened exactly how we thought it might. “Today was good but now we can look at how long she will race and she’s never let us down.” Alexander is keen to see the mare contest some of the feature events during the upcoming South Australian Autumn Carnival. “She is making our life very easy,” he said. “She keeps presenting well and loves racing. We’ll freshen her up and focus on Adelaide in the autumn. “She doesn’t like it very wet and we’ll keep an eye on that. “We’ll go to Adelaide as she’s won a midweek and now she’s won a Saturday race being by a Group One winner, getting some black type is a key for her. “We’re looking at the City Of Adelaide (Listed, 1400m) which is her sweet spot and then there’s mile options after that.” Lane was also pleased with how well the mare fought when tackled by the eventual runner-up. “She’s been in great form and Archie has had her going so consistently,” he said. “Well done to Archie and his team as he’s had a nice winner on Guineas Day. “The race worked out well today. She got really competitive when it mattered and wanted to win. That is a trait that will take horses a long way. “She is probably best out to 1500m. She has won at a mile and she was able to sustain her gallop today over the 1400m which really helped us out at the end of the race as well.” Watersports was bred by Jamieson Park and is by Ocean Park out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Starwish. Lime Country Thoroughbreds offered her during the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, where she was bought for A$75,000 by Alexander Racing and Rogers Bloodstock. She has now had 16 starts for four wins, eight placings and A$221,050 in prize-money. View the full article
    • Underrated milerCluedo Lane (NZ)(Ghibellines) provided trainer Joseph Waldron with his biggest victory since returning from a stint in Australia last year as he ran a quality field ragged over the concluding stages of the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight For Age (1600m) at Wingatui. Waldron, who left New Zealand shores just over six years ago, made the decision to return to his home region of Otago in in the middle of 2025 and commenced training from Wingatui at the start of the season. Things have gone well for the talented horseman, who had registered four victories from his boutique team to date, although he went into Saturday’s feature with mixed feelings after having to scratch the well-fancied Brave Spirit (NZ) (Swiss Ace) which allowed a strong back-up chance in Cluedo Lane to take his place in the final field. Rider Akshay Balloo bounced the six-year-old son of Ghibellines away nicely to be sitting in second behind pacemaker Tumuch (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) throughout before taking over at the head of affairs as the 600m. Balloo went for gold on his mount rounding the home bend and opened up a five-length margin on his rivals, and despite getting tired in the final 100m, he held out the late charge of runner-up Sir Albert (NZ) (Savabeel) and third placed Matscot (NZ) (Haradasun) by a length at the winning post. Waldron was thankful for gaining such a big result for the stable, while he also found time to praise the effort of Balloo. “It was meant to be I suppose, although it was a shame about Brave Spirit, but he will be back again,” Waldron said. “It was a great opportunity for this horse and he took it. He has always shown he had good ability and before we got him he was only just nabbed by Spot On Time (NZ) (Time Test) in the TAB Mile (1400m) trial, which is well and truly good enough form for here. “A big thanks to Michael Stokes (owner) who sent him our way as for a little stable like ours that is just getting going, having a horse like him is a huge thrill. “Akshay is incredibly underrated, is great on horses that go forward and that suits ours well. “It doesn’t get much better than this as it is a huge thrill.” Balloo was thankful for the opportunity to ride the horse and made the most of that good fortune. “He is a tough horse,” he said. “I was a little bit worried when I couldn’t get to the front but I saw my chance and pulled him out at the right time, then I knew he was going to be hard to catch. “This is how he likes running and although I had to make some adjustments, it paid off.” Raced by former Canterbury-based trainer Michael Stokes, who also co-bred him, Cluedo Lane has now won four of his 23 starts and more than $203,000 in prizemoney. View the full article
    • A peach of a ride and a superior staying effort combined to produce a stirring Listed Positive Signs + Print Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) victory for Canterbury raiderNoble Knight (NZ)(Ghibellines) at Wingatui. The Sandy-Cunningham trained and part-owned eight-year-old went into the contest off the back of a victory over 2000m at Riccarton before rounding out his preparation for the feature staying event with a close up second behind race rival Smooth Operator (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) in the Invercargill Gold Cup (2600m) two weeks ago. Northern rider Matt Cameron made the trip down to Wingatui to partner the son of the former White Robe Lodge stallion Ghibellines and produced a copybook performance on the veteran, positioning him sweetly one-out just ahead of midfield in the early running before looming into contention shortly after runners rounded the final turn. Smooth Operator, the heavily backed $3.30 race favourite, kicked to the lead at that point and looked to be full of running as Noble Knight, In Vegas (NZ) (Telperion) and Generation Joy (NZ) (Ghibellines) set out after him. Cameron gave his mount a couple of flicks behind the saddle and Noble Knight shot clear before stretching his final winning margin to just on two lengths from the hard charging Capo Del Impero (NZ) (Ghibellines) who snatched second off In Vegas in the shadows of the post. Cunningham was overjoyed with the victory after her charge had finished third in the event back in 2024. “That is so exciting,” Cunningham said. “I’m just overwhelmed really, although he deserves it as he is just such a consistent horse and never goes a bad race. “We’ve placed him reasonably well and he has had a wee trip to Australia, where he ran second at Moonee Valley, which was really exciting. “We had a placing with our trotter Eurostyle in a Group One at Addington last night, where I was yelling at the TV so it could be a fun night here now so look out Wingatui.” Cameron was also pleased with the performance after making his second trip to Wingatui in 20 years. “His form has been solid and he gave me a super ride as he lobbed nicely after there was speed on at the start,” he said. “He tracked into it three and four wide before the turn where we had cover and when we peeled off their backs he bolted in. “With the run he got he relaxed beautifully and was loving it on the line. “I’ve won a few country cups but I’ve only been here once, which was about 20 years ago, and it is good to be back.” Noble Knight was purchased out of White Robe Lodge’s draft during the New Zealand Bloodstock South Island Sale in 2019 for $22,500 by Cunningham and he has now won on nine occasions while he has also placed a further 23 times for just over $492,000 in stakes earnings. View the full article
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