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  • Posts

    • Versatile galloper Gigi (NZ) (Ghibellines) took a step up in grade in his stride at Te Rapa on Saturday, while delivering a special milestone for his trainer Jim Pender. The son of Ghibellines had posted victories on better tracks through the summer, but struck a bottomless surface first-up this preparation at New Plymouth, a performance he was expected to bounce back from. Starting among the better-backed runners in the Fulton Hogan Mile (1600m), Gigi was eased back into midfield by Joe Doyle to find cover early. The top pick in Diomedes went straight to the lead and controlled the tempo throughout, which slowed and the field compressed near the 600m. Doyle got off the back of the leaders turning for home and had a task on his hands to chase down Diomedes, but Gigi didn’t give up, digging in for the final 50m to run down the favourite right on the line. Pacheco was just a neck away in third, while a notable run came from staying specialist Canheroc, who closed strongly into fifth. Pender indicated that Gigi had overcome a hoof issue through the latter part of the autumn, so Saturday’s effort was a particularly pleasing result. “I thought it was huge,” he said. “He had a stone bruise problem back at the end of April, so we’ve been trying to get that right, then I took him down to New Plymouth and I don’t think many horses would’ve been on a track that deep. “I was aiming to get him up over ground, but I thought rather than trialling I’d run him in the Open 1600m on Saturday, and his work has steadily gotten better and better. “I was not confident of winning, being his first time in open company, but I thought he would run quite a good race. “Joe Doyle gets along very well with him and I leave it over to him, he’s got enough pace to be up near the lead, which is an advantage when they’re running home a bit quicker, he doesn’t have to make up all that ground. “He just tries so hard and he doesn’t like getting beat.” Pender is planning on returning to the Waikato venue in a fortnight, but is looking forward to seeing Gigi back on a Good surface when possible. “I think the better the track, the better he’ll go,” he said. “He’s better on top of the ground, and for a little horse, he’s got quite a big stride. “He’ll go back to Te Rapa again in two weeks, there’s an Open 2100m, then we’ll try and map out a programme from there.” The Tauranga horseman was pleasantly surprised to find out that he’d recorded the 300th winner of training career, with 10 of those coming at Group or Listed level. “I didn’t actually know that at the time, but it was a bit of milestone I suppose,” he said. “It was really enjoyable.” View the full article
    • Untapped galloper Im Bartholomew (NZ) (Contributer) delivered a maiden victory four years in the making for Tony Dravitzki at Hawera on Sunday. Initially purchased by Dravitzki as a weanling, Im Bartholomew trialled impressively at Waverley in September 2023 and was subsequently sold to Australia. In the care of Victorian trainer Henry Dwyer, he produced a fourth from four starts, the last of those coming in December last year. Dravitzki had remained in the ownership of the gelding, and following his most recent effort, the opportunity presented to purchase Im Bartholomew back outright. He didn’t hesitate to do so, and after a long build-up, his charge was ready to make an awaited Kiwi debut in the Miss Lizzie (1200m). In the hands of Mereana Hudson, Im Bartholomew went back from a wide draw, while Our Time Keeper sped up to take the lead in the trying conditions at Hawera. A number of his rivals were already under pressure nearing the 600m, but Im Bartholomew was cruising into contention and hit the lead at the top of the straight. Coming down the outside, Im Bartholomew was off and gone, taking a comfortable 2 – ¼ length victory over Nightowl who was game on debut. Dravitzki took great satisfaction out of the result, having had such a long journey with the son of Complacent. “It wasn’t my biggest win, but it was the win that has given me the most satisfaction so far in my training career,” he said. “I’ve always known the horse had ability, for whatever reason he didn’t show that in Australia. “I bought him off Gavelhouse as a weanling when I was in hospital, then took him through to trialling as a three-year-old. I sold him to Australia while keeping a small share in him myself, but he didn’t really come up over there, so I bought him back off Inglis Digital. “I’ve had him back for about nine months, so going into his first start, I was expecting a good run, while being a little worried about the track. “I’ve always known the horse had ability and he raced very professionally today, he had the four starts in Australia while a few of these were first-starters. “The future looks quite bright for him and I think he’ll be better on top of the ground, based on what he shows in the training track. “He’s not the biggest of eaters, but he has improved all the way through and is finally eating up, which he didn’t as a young horse and would lose condition very easily. It’s been a long, slow build-up, which seemed to have worked.” Based at Stratford, Dravitzki had seen plenty of his mother, Dream Dancer, during her racing career, and leapt at the chance to purchase one of her progeny. “His mother, Dream Dancer, was a very good mare trained at Stratford,” he said. “I had a horse at the same time that was often racing against her, so I knew her ability. “I like the Complacent horses as well, I have about five of them in my stable.” View the full article
    • Timaru galloper He’s Tunza Grunt (NZ) (Pure Champion) capped off a coming-of-age winter campaign with a commanding performance to win the Heatstore Open Handicap (1800m) at Riccarton Park on Saturday. Starting his preparation in May, He’s Tunza Grunt was a 68-rated horse, but took a big leap in the ratings when causing a minor upset in the Waimate Cup (1600m) second-up. He took the step up in his stride from there, placing in open company in the Amberley Cup (1600m) and Oamaru Cup (1600m), but struck unsuitable track conditions when finishing back in last Saturday’s Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m). That performance saw him fly well under the radar on the third day of the Grand National Festival of Racing, closing a $25 hope in a field headed by Winter Cup runner-up Who Knows ($2.20) and fellow Central Districts visitor Bozo ($5.60). In his customary fashion, He’s Tunza Grunt settled back near the tail of the field in the hands of Brandon May, while Taimate Diva drove through to take up the pacemaking role. In the torrid track conditions, the field spread wide across the home straight and May opted to stick right to the outside, where his gelding kept up a strong gallop to get the upper hand on Cork, who was game in second ahead of Bozo.  May was delighted with the son of Pure Champion, who he rode for trainer Stephanie Faulkner.  “I did come into the race fairly confident, he loves a loose track and not too sticky, whereas last week in the Winter Cup, it was just on the sticky side for him,” he said. “The outside is obviously just the better place, and not being too handy on this track today. He did get a bit keen through the middle stages, so I tried to save every inch. “A big thanks to Steph Faulkner and the owners, they’ve really been supportive of me and I’m really happy for the team – and this horse. “He’s come on and come on, it’s quite amazing to see his career go this way and to be partnered with him.” Faulkner echoed those sentiments, and indicated He’s Tunza Grunt will now head for a deserved break. “It was a beautiful ride by Brandon, I said to do what you did on the last one and he did that, so we got the result,” she said. “I don’t get too confident because I hate things to go wrong, but it was great. “I was going to chuck him out now and get him ready for Christmas, I haven’t had a look what’s on, but he needs a break now.” Raced by Diana Goodeve and the estate of the late Bob Goodeve, He’s Tunza Grunt has won six races from 45 starts and just shy of $140,000 in stakes earnings, much of that coming in the last 12 months. The eight-year-old is out of an unraced Encosta De Lago mare Sacred Jewel, who is a half-sister to multiple Australian Group One winner Sacred Habit. View the full article
    • Del Mar leading rider Juan Hernandez rode Heredia for the first time and won the Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) for his sixth victory on the Aug. 9 card at Del Mar.View the full article
    • Saratoga's 12th and final race on the Aug. 9 card, an allowance for New York-breds originally carded for 1 1/8 miles on the turf, was accidentally contested at 1 1/16 miles. The race was declared official, with the error first pointed out by DRF's Dave Grening. The official Equibase chart made note of the error, stating: “Please note that the race was originally scheduled to be run at a mile and one-eighth on the Mellon Turf course. However, the gate was positioned for a mile and one-sixteenth start on the Mellon Turf course and therefore the split times and final time have been omitted pending video review and the points of call have been corrected to reflect a mile and one-sixteenth race.” New York Racing Association (NYRA) officials will review the situation, with no official comments made by press time. R.T. Racing Stables and Hablan Los Caballos, LLC's Fidelightcayut (Leofric) won the race. A similar issue occurred at Saratoga in 2018, when the fifth race on the Aug. 8 card that year was run at 1 1/8 miles instead of 1 1/16 miles. Read more about it here.   The post Saratoga Runs Saturday’s Last Race at Wrong Distance appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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