Channel Surfer Shines Fresh-Up at Taupo

[Wandering Eyes]

Multiple stakes-performer Channel Surfer (NZ) (Derryn) was back to his best at Taupo on Wednesday, returning to the winner’s circle for the first time in 14 months in the Fiber Fresh (1400m).

The five-year-old can be an enigma at times, with placings in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m), Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m), Listed Trevor Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) and last year’s Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) displaying his obvious talent. He hadn’t produced that form through the spring, and off a freshen-up, he was among the outsiders in a competitive open contest.

Clearly the slowest away, Channel Surfer settled a couple of lengths last under Jasmine Fawcett and had a task ahead of him on the home turn. Race favourites Talisker (NZ) (Embellish) and Trobriand were in the lead at the 200m before the latter got the better of his stablemate, but swooping down the outside was Channel Surfer, the gelding powering late to catch Trobriand by a head at the post.

The pair drew clear by 2 ¾ lengths to a game top-weight in Hasstobeawinner (NZ) (Vadamos), with less than a neck separating that runner, Talisker and Little Bit Of Love (NZ) (Time Test).

The victory came with great satisfaction to co-trainer Graham Richardson, who had elected to remove Channel Surfer’s blinkers on Wednesday.

“It was a big effort, he was way back last in a very strong field,” he said. “I’m over the moon about that, he’s won very impressively.

“I took the blinkers off and that certainly helped, he’d had a few starts with blinkers on and won, but sometimes they just get a bit sick of it and can’t see what’s around him.

“I didn’t know what he would do, all I knew was he was very quiet before the race which is not like him. He’s growing up, it’s taken a while but he’s getting there.”

Richardson, who trains in partnership with Rogan Norvall, is hopeful that Channel Surfer can follow the same route of races like the Easter this campaign.

“I certainly hope so, his pet distance is between 1400 and a mile,” he said. “We’ve tried him over ground and to me, I feel like he looks like he wants a mile and a quarter in his races, but he doesn’t.”

A son of Derryn, Channel Surfer was bred by John Corcoran out of an unraced Hotel Grand mare My Savona. From 26 appearances, the gelding has recorded four wins, eight minor placings and over $220,000 in stakes earnings.

Later in the week, Richardson and Norvall will have a sole runner heading to their local meeting at Matamata on Saturday in Britannia Gold (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns).

The three-year-old Ten Sovereigns filly placed in good company at her first three starts, before breaking through for a deserved maiden success in the Karapiro Classic Golden Ticket Race (1400m) at Taupo in December.

That victory earned her a place in the $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m) at Te Rapa earlier this month, but an outside barrier draw dictated her result having to race three-wide without cover from the outset.

She will drop back in distance in the Mitre 10 Matamata 1400, contending with a more preferred draw in six.

“She’s come away from that race really well and back to 1400 will suit, she’s got a good draw and Lily Sutherland will ride her,” Richardson said.

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