NOW OFFICIAL that Pivotal Ten has a slot for the NZB Kiwi

[curious]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

Good luck trying that strategy.  It was slowing quicker than a wet week in its last win and needed to be whipped to keep going - unnecesarily in my opinion.

Its last 600m was in 35.75, the 600-400 - 11.7, 400-200 - 11.78, last 200m in 12.8.

First 400m - 23.86.

First 600m - 35.73

Last 800 m - 46.97.

Last 600m 35.75.

I also think that first 400m time was suspect but assuming it was OK you need more than one trick up your sleeve.

I'm no sectionals guru. For me the important one is from the gates to the line. The fastest of those usually wins. However, I'd have thought 23.86 was pretty quick for a first 400 there. The R75 1400 was 24.7 and the open 1200 24.09?

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, curious said:

I'm no sectionals guru. For me the important one is from the gates to the line. The fastest of those usually wins. However, I'd have thought 23.86 was pretty quick for a first 400 there. The R75 1400 was 24.7 and the open 1200 24.09?

Compare it to some of the other three yr olds this season.  Pivotal Ten hasn't broken 35 for the last 600m yet.  Some argue she hasn't been tested but the top 3yr olds are regularly running 34 or better (not at Ellerslie!).

I'm not a guru either but the good horses can always run a good sectional.

[Special Agent]

The way I look at it the owner selected a horse judging by the price that was not wanted by the experts.  He has entrusted the training to Sam Wynne, a newbie in the training role, who has done a tremendous job fitting the horse for racing with the added bonus of being the raceday rider.  As the horse has won it's last five why would you be looking for another jockey?

As Mike Kneebone said "what a story".  Sam is as competitive as any other jockey who will be riding at Ellerslie.  With all the bullshit she endured from Bernard Saundry and co at NZTR and Tim Mills at the CJC during Covid I'd say she'd handle whatever criticism anyone is prepared to throw at her like water off a duck's back.  I wouldn't know Colin Wightman if I fell over him but, if there is an inkling he's looking at replacing Sam in the saddle the big crowbar he'd require to prise his hoop off is likely to be wrapped around his head by Sam herself.

[Chief Stipe]

NZTR have caught up.

Southern Star Secures NZB Kiwi Slot

The $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) has received a welcome injection of southern flavour, with exciting filly Pivotal Ten having secured a berth in the Southern Hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race.

Trained and ridden by Samantha Wynne, Pivotal Ten has gained many admirers this term after producing a picket fence form line, including three successive stakes victories, culminating in last Saturday’s dominant 8-3/4 length victory in the Listed Southland Guineas (1400m).

Her connections received plenty of interest from NZB Kiwi slot holders, but it was the Selangor Turf Club that came out on top in securing the services of the daughter of Ten Sovereigns.

“I think she is the most interesting runner in the race and probably the most exciting,” New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB) Director of Business Development and Selangor Turf Club Slot Holder representative Mike Kneebone said.

“She is a filly that I think will work really well for the race and I am thrilled that we waited for as long as we did to get the horse that we really wanted.”

Wynne is looking forward to being a part of the New Zealand Thoroughbred racing industry’s first-ever slot race and is excited by the challenge.

“It is going to be the biggest challenge of my life, but I am ready for it,” she said.

“I know how lucky I am to have her. People wait all their lives for a horse like her, so I am not taking anything for granted.

“She keeps stepping up and doing good things, so I think she deserves a shot, and hopefully we can do the South Island proud.”

While Wynne has ridden at Ellerslie, she has yet to line-up a runner in the North Island, so to do so in the richest race in the country is a bit surreal for the Canterbury horsewoman.

“I have never had a runner in the North Island,” she said. “I rode in the Auckland Cup and had a couple of rides that day. I will be up there a week before the race and I will do as much homework as I can, we will leave no stone unturned.”

The Selangor Turf Club have been great supporters of New Zealand Bloodstock, and the New Zealand racing and breeding industry, and Kneebone said it is great to have their involvement in the inaugural running of the NZB Kiwi after they purchased a slot at a charity event prior to New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale last year.

“I have worked up there (Malaysia) for a long time and I have said for many years that the Selangor Turf Club are a very forward-thinking club,” Kneebone said. 

“They are driven by a wonderful chairman in Tan Sri Richard Cham, and his wife Louise is by his side. Their CEO is Mike Fong and they have been great supporters of New Zealand Bloodstock for a long time. 

“When they realised Singapore was finishing (racing last year), they were wanting to get two-year-olds coming up into their racing system so they had new, young horses coming through to attract people to the races, and they chose New Zealand as that place to replenish their horses.

“When they came down for the Ready to Run Sale they were at the welcome party where the auction of the one-off NZB Kiwi slot was going on. Captain Tan Tiang Huat, who is one of the main owners up there, bought the slot, and after it he said, ‘Mike you will need to find us one now and we will come down’. 

“There is a group of 20 coming down. They love their racing and they are an on-the-move Club. We can’t thank them enough for the support they have given us, and this might be a good way to reward them.”

Kneebone thinks he has found the Selangor Turf Club the perfect filly for the race and said his attention was drawn to her following her golden run of form in the south.

“I had a number of people mention her to me as a filly on the rise, because I buy a lot of well-bred fillies and mares, and she came on the radar because of that,” he said.

“After her win in the Gore Guineas (Listed, 1335m), it was the times that I was impressed with the most with her and the fact that she doesn’t seem to have a care in the world. She is a lovely, relaxed animal. 

“I have spoken with Sam about going the other way around for Ellerslie and she said the filly is such a natural, relaxed talent and she swaps over legs whenever she wants to, and I don’t think that will be a problem for her at all.”

Kneebone said NZB is proud to be the naming sponsor of the race and extending their strong support of the New Zealand racing industry.

“New Zealand Bloodstock have been huge sponsors of New Zealand racing for so long with the Fillies Series and the Pearl Series, general race meetings, and of course the Karaka Millions as well,” he said.

“It is a great fit for us, and it keeps the momentum going that New Zealand racing is heading in at the moment. We just love this concept.”

Pivotal Ten was bred by the late Kevin Hickman under his Valachi Downs banner. She is out of Lady Woodcote, a full-sister to Group One winner Maarek, and is a half-sister to stakes performer Woodcote Lass. 

She was offered through Valachi Downs’ 2022 NZB National Weanling Sale where she was purchased by Colin Wightman for $15,000, and was entrusted to the care of Wynne, for whom she has won five of her seven starts, including three at stakes level, and has earned nearly $200,000 in prizemoney. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

 

 

NZB Kiwi Contact
Emma Thompson - NZB Kiwi Programme Lead
emma.thompson@nztr.co.nz

 

[curious]

Well, at least they talked to Sam. Nothing reported from Colin yet! A step up from Guerin's effort if you can call it that. In to $10 on the TAB I see.

Edited Thursday at 04:57 AM by curious

[Chief Stipe]

39 minutes ago, curious said:

Well, at least they talked to Sam. Nothing reported from Colin yet! A step up from Guerin's effort if you can call it that. In to $10 on the TAB I see.

Too short.  Not value in my opinion.  I mean Scooby reckons it is a shoe in FFS!

[Freda]

2 hours ago, Special Agent said:

The way I look at it the owner selected a horse judging by the price that was not wanted by the experts.  He has entrusted the training to Sam Wynne, a newbie in the training role, who has done a tremendous job fitting the horse for racing with the added bonus of being the raceday rider.  As the horse has won it's last five why would you be looking for another jockey?

As Mike Kneebone said "what a story".  Sam is as competitive as any other jockey who will be riding at Ellerslie.  With all the bullshit she endured from Bernard Saundry and co at NZTR and Tim Mills at the CJC during Covid I'd say she'd handle whatever criticism anyone is prepared to throw at her like water off a duck's back.  I wouldn't know Colin Wightman if I fell over him but, if there is an inkling he's looking at replacing Sam in the saddle the big crowbar he'd require to prise his hoop off is likely to be wrapped around his head by Sam herself.

Damn right!

[Chief Stipe]

6 minutes ago, Freda said:

Damn right!

Perhaps.  

[Freda]

9 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Perhaps.  

Sam can give as good as she gets, and then some.

It can be very entertaining. 

[Freda]

41 minutes ago, Freda said:

Sam can give as good as she gets, and then some.

It can be very entertaining. 

However, to add balance, if Sam feels the pressure of training/ riding in a very different arena and decides to devolve some of that pressure by standing down, then that will be her decision. 

Rest assured though, she won't be pushed. 

[SLB2.0]

"What has you disciple Sunloon girl told you that Aussie jockeys should replace NZ ones on another horse has he...just like he suggested maybe someone else should ride Pivotal Ten...both of you do not have the word loyalty in your vocabulary. Kiwi jockeys do OK there is plenty of speed in the race so dont worry your precious self about how it is run there will be OK tempo."

Firstly, Leigh. Please don't use the word "vocabulary" when your grammar represents someone who left school at 12.

Secondly, I know you love to spread lies and let RC users log into other people's accounts to make posts, but I never said "Aussie jockeys SHOULD replace NZ jockeys." But you know that. You can read (I think), you're just shit stirring as always. 

You'll never have a horse good enough to worry about what you would do. Loyalty? You should afford your members the same gratitude, instead of banning anyone who disagrees with you. How's that for loyalty?

[Murray Fish]

12 hours ago, Freda said:

and decides to devolve some of that pressure by standing down, then that will be her decision. 

yip, as I said previously, it wouldn't surprise me it she/they chose a senor rider, 60/40 to do so! I no of cases where a stand down riders has received a winning riding fee

I just hope she doesn't get the visitors draw! lol! that might get Colon going!

 

[The Centaur]

All very well going for the huge money but Colin Wightman could lose $1/2million. Thats the approx value PT could drop by if it bombs out. There is a huge chance of that happening. If I was Wightman I would take a few whiskies before the race.

[Gammalite]

Just now, The Centaur said:

All very well going for the huge money but Colin Wightman could lose $1/2million. Thats the approx value PT could drop by if it bombs out. There is a huge chance of that happening. If I was Wightman I would take a few whiskies before the race.

It's not always about the money. A Top horse is hard to come by ,and so you might as well have a crack at the Big races if you get one.  Mad if you don't . Horse doesn't know any better. (apart from they might go a wee bit slower if just racing mid-class compared to Cup Class lol ) 

[Doomed]

14 hours ago, The Centaur said:

All very well going for the huge money but Colin Wightman could lose $1/2million. Thats the approx value PT could drop by if it bombs out. There is a huge chance of that happening. If I was Wightman I would take a few whiskies before the race.

What you are really saying is that it is a very ordinary field and if PT can't keep up it means she isn't very flash.

Personally, I think she has saved the race. Sure there are a couple of Aussies, but they don't seem to have created most interest. 

A lot of people will be watching the race now wondering how the Southerner might go. Even I might watch it now.