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If there were a set of grass trials scheduled this week with that programme down here instead of the cancelled poly ones, we wouldn't be forced to go to the races on Saturday to give one a trial. The whole programming races/trial thing is completely screwed. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
BH Interview with Roderick WachmanView the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Smart speedster chases back-to-back wins at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Awapuni’s newly renovated grass track was given the tick of approval following Tuesday’s trials at the Palmerston North venue. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Talented stayer Sword In Stone appreciated a stretch of the legs on Awapuni’s renovated grass surface ahead of Saturday’s Listed Valley D’Vine Restaurant Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) at Trentham. The Redwood gelding stepped out in the first of 11 trials at the Palmerston North venue on Tuesday, where jockey Kavish Chowdhoory allowed him to cruise along comfortably in midfield through the mid-stages. When in clear air down the straight, Sword In Stone ran down the leader with ease and powered through the line to take the heat by 1-1/2 lengths. “He hasn’t raced since the Auckland Cup (Group 2, 3200m) and I felt that he needed a bit of a blowout, and with Palmerston on our back doorstep, it was nice to be able to take him there,” co-trainer Stephen Gray said. “I thought he trialled beautifully. “I took him up to Waverley last Friday, and he had a nice gallop between races there, and then he had a quiet weekend, so I thought another quiet trial would bring him on for Wellington.” The evergreen nine-year-old finished seventh in the two-mile feature on Champions Day, a more than satisfactory result for the multiple-Group One performer in Hong Kong. “He went so well in the Auckland Cup; he just went terrific, and we were rapt,” Gray said. “I know he only ran seventh, but for a nine-year-old coming back from Hong Kong to run like he did, I thought he was great. I looked ahead at what could suit, and I thought this race (Hawke’s Bay Cup) would be a better choice than the St Leger, so I freshened him up and he’s had a couple of nice trips away, so he’s ready to go again. “I just hope it doesn’t get too wet down there.” Gray, who trains in partnership with his father, Kevin, couldn’t have been happier with the presentation of Awapuni, which copped plenty of rain through the morning and early afternoon. “I thought the track was amazing at Awapuni; it was beautiful,” he said. “It was very exciting. I’ve only been back (in New Zealand) for about seven months, but the rest of the racing fraternity, the owners and trainers in there, and all of the participants in the CD have been through a lot lately and are looking forward to getting Awapuni going again. “It was quite heavily raining, and the track held up well; it wasn’t slippery. It was a credit to everyone involved, and hopefully it all unfolds later in the season to be of great service.” The Copper Belt Lodge stable had three of their fellow Trentham representatives at Awapuni earlier in the morning, including promising three-year-old Albarossa and stakes contenders Idyllic and Silent Is Gold. “I took those three horses into Awapuni this morning, and RACE provided the track for us to use, which was great, and it presented very well at the trials,” Gray said. Albarossa was among a five-horse finish in the three-year-old race on Sires’ Produce Day, finishing just half a length from stakes winner Super Photon. A potential shot at the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) is now on the table for the son of Vino Rosso, who will contest the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1100m) on Saturday. “Albarossa is a very promising horse. I thought he went huge the other day fresh-up in that field,” Gray said. “He’ll appreciate a bit of easing in the tracks, and I think it’s a good race for him. Hopefully he can prove himself to go up for the Cambridge Breeders.” The meeting was initially set to be held at Otaki, which would’ve been a better fit for Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m) contender Idyllic. Known for her scorching early pace, Idyllic has been most effective over courses such as Otaki, Tauherenikau, and Awapuni, but the unique Trentham dogleg hasn’t been her friend in previous attempts. “Unfortunately, Idyllic doesn’t perform as well at Wellington as she can; it just seems to find her out,” Gray said. “We were hoping the races were going to be at Otaki but unfortunately that hasn’t happened, so that’s probably her disadvantage. “She did the trial magnificently at Foxton the other day, and she’s in great order; she’ll run very well, but it’s just unfortunate for the connections that it’s been transferred. “Trentham has taken a lot of big races, and she would’ve been very competitive at Otaki. But it is what it is, and we’ll just see how we go.” Her stablemate Silent Is Gold will also take his place in the $80,000 feature after performing commendably in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) last start. “He went great; (Michael) McNab (jockey) said he just over-raced with the blinkers on for the first time, and he gave me a bit of a tune-up, saying I shouldn’t have put them on,” Gray quipped. “We’ll take them off again this week. “He’s a great little horse; he’s honest and will run well. It’s just whether he’s good enough.” Since returning from Singapore, the seven-time winner is yet to get on the board in New Zealand but has recorded three runner-up finishes in five attempts. Horse racing news View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Awapuni trainer Roydon Bergerson. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Awapuni’s renovated grass track was given its biggest test on its return when it held 11 heats of trials under torrential rain on Tuesday. The track held up well, and the trial meeting concluded without incident, much to the satisfaction of local trainers, including Roydon Bergerson. “It was thumbs up from everybody; it was just great to get back there,” Bergerson said. “It poured with rain before the first heat, and if a horse were to slip, it would have been today, but they got around that corner really well, and all of the jockeys were happy. There wasn’t as much kickback, and that track held up really well. Everyone was happy in the end.” Bergerson recorded two trial wins, including with his former top juvenile Wolverine, who took out her 1000m heat by a nose over Old Town Road. The daughter of Tivaci won her first three races for Bergerson as a two-year-old, including the Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) and Group 2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) before finishing runner-up in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). She continued her racing career in Australia for trainer Kris Lees and Australia Bloodstock, for whom she placed on five occasions, including the Gr.2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m), Listed Canberra Guineas (1400m), Gr.3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m), Listed Daybreak Lover (1400m) and Listed Princess Stakes (1619m). She was then purchased by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for A$850,000, but failed to fire on her New Zealand return and returned to Bergerson’s care earlier this year. Bergerson is pleased to have Wolverine back in his barn, and he has been satisfied with her progress, eyeing a tilt at the Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park next month as her first-up assignment. “It is nice to have her back, and she has come back in good condition,” Bergerson said. “She had a decent spell, which is probably what she needed, and she has really matured into a really good-looking five-year-old mare. “She will probably gallop between races here (Awapuni) on ANZAC Day and may have another trial at Waipukurau, and on the 10th of May there is a weight-for-age fillies and mares race at Rotorua which will probably be her kick-off. “She is really sound and happy at the moment, so long may it continue.” Bergerson was also pleased with stablemate Reservoir’s 1200m trial victory on Tuesday and is looking to step him up to 1400m for his race day debut on the advice of apprentice jockey Jim Chung. “He has just taken a lot of time,” Bergerson said of the three-year-old son of El Roca. “We put the blinkers on him to help with his confidence. He was travelling in amongst them, but he was just frightened of other horses. We kicked him out of the barriers today and put the blinkers on him and he held on quite well. “Jimmy said he probably needs a bit more ground, so we will look to run him in a 1400m race somewhere.” Bergerson is looking forward to racing returning to his home track on ANZAC Day and said it has been a trying last couple of years having the track out of commission for renovation work. “It has been amazing the success the Awapuni horses have had not having a proper course or grass to gallop on,” he said. “It is really good to have nice grass to gallop on and a proper course to race on now. We did go through hell for a while but now everything is tickety-boo. “There’s nothing like getting up and going across the road to the races. We have really missed it all for the last two summers. The closest ones (raceday tracks) were Otaki, Wanganui, and Woodville. It’s good to save the owners a bit of money now too, so it will be good to get back here on ANZAC Day.” Horse racing news View the full article
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