Southern mare strikes gold at Riccarton

[Wandering Eyes]

Southern mare Inflamed (NZ) (Ghibellines) used every inch of a sodden Riccarton racetrack to storm to victory in Saturday’s Listed Lindauer Stewards Stakes (1200m).

Scenes seldom experienced on a New Zealand racecourse saw the meeting delayed shortly after the fourth race as hailstones the size of golf balls and torrential rain struck the venue in a violent 15-minute downpour that also had an accompanying thunder and lightning show.

Raceday officials put the meeting back one race, and after jockeys agreed racing should continue, it was the Brian and Shane Anderton-prepared Inflamed who relished the revised Heavy9 conditions to down a handy field in the traditional sprint feature of the New Zealand Cup carnival.

Rider Donovan Cooper didn’t panic when he found himself back last after the start and slowly brought the six-year-old daughter of Ghibellines to the very outside of the track as the field swung for home.

Just as the Te Akau Racing pair of Trobriand (Kermadec) and Insatiable (NZ) (All Too Hard) looked to have things under control between the two of them, Inflamed appeared hard up against the outside rail and motored home to grab Trobriand in the shadows of the winning post for a stunning victory.

Shane Anderon admitted that the initial plan had been to have the mare up on the pace but that option was taken away when she was tardy from the barriers.

“The plan was to be on the pace, but she just fell out of the gates,” Anderton said. “What a great finish she had though, which was pretty exciting.

“When the rain came it didn’t do her any harm as she goes on most ground.

“Everything we have put Donovan on has gone alright and he is a very good rider.

“Dad (Brian) is at home and he will be very excited.”

A true product of the Anderton family’s White Robe Lodge breeding operation, Inflamed was bred by Brian Anderton and his late wife Lorraine and races in the same ownership.

She is a daughter of their stakes-winning Gallant Guru mare Ortem Fire (NZ) (Emerald Fire) and has now won six of her 29 starts and over $239,000 in prizemoney.

The downgrade in track conditions to the Heavy9 rating robbed the race of some interest with first-day Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) winner Platinum Attack (Santos) a late scratching. He was slated to start a warm favourite for the event.

Riccarton is sheeted in hail after an extraordinary storm on New Zealand Cup Day. Photo: Race Images South

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