Enright and Waipukurau break droughts in memorable Cup

[Wandering Eyes]

A huge crowd flocked to Waipukurau on Sunday as the Central Hawke’s Bay course hosted its first race meeting in six years, and Tauranga visitor Enright (NZ) (Power) emphatically broke a drought of his own in the DMAK Electrical Waipukurau Cup (2100m).

The $35,000 country feature was the first win since October of 2022 for Enright, who has now had 43 starts for four wins, 13 placings and $179,300 in prize-money. He is trained by Stuart Manning, who co-bred and part-owns the Power gelding along with Kaye Durrant.

The capacity crowd was treated to an exciting spectacle as the Cup field charged into the back straight at a frenetic pace. My Alibi, Duncan Creek and Tukituki all pressed forward and piled on the pressure, sapping their energy in the process and fading out of contention by the point of the home turn.

Enright and in-form comeback jockey Erin Leighton had taken up a midfield position behind that early action, racing three wide but with cover.

When the leaders began to tire coming down to the outside, Enright swept up around them and soon took command. He drew away down the straight, winning by two and a quarter lengths from Danjuro and the brave topweight Sailor Jack.

“It was a bloody awesome day,” said Leighton, who also picked up a second win on Sunday’s card aboard Pepeha (NZ) (Darci Brahma). She has now won seven races this spring in a remarkable return following an injury-enforced absence of three years.

“It was honestly one of the coolest days I’ve experienced on a New Zealand racetrack. It was incredibly well run. I think Kirsty Lawrence sold the place out, and they were all having a great time. She also provided plenty of iceblocks for the jockeys, which we appreciated! It was an amazing day, and to win the Cup was icing on the cake and a real thrill.

“We had a terrible draw. We ended up caught three wide, but I managed to get a bit of cover. It started to get a bit scruffy inside me from the half-mile, they were bunching up and I was hearing a bit of shouting. That was when I decided to hook out, and he just trotted past them and went on to win easily. I thought it was a hugely impressive performance.”

Enright is a son of the Zabeel mare Katy O’Beel, who herself won three races. Her dam Katy Keen was a star performer for Manning and Durrant between 2007 and 2010, winning 10 races and almost $500,000 in stakes headed by the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m), Gr.3 Rotorua Cup (2170m), Listed Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2000m) and Listed New Zealand St Leger (2500m).

The Waipukurau Cup was the fifth leg of the inaugural Prezzy Card Northern Country Cups Bonus Series. A new initiative from New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and the Taupo Racing Club, the Northern Country Cups Series will see seven Country Cups staged across the North Island from October to December, with horses earning points for top-four finishes and required to contest at least three races, including the $100,000 Harcourts Taupo Cup (2000m).

Sponsored by leading prepaid gift provider Prezzy Card, the series is designed to encourage participation, create a competitive narrative between regional racedays, and culminate in a high-stakes finale on Harcourts Taupo Cup Day on December 28. The Harcourts Taupo Cup itself has received a $15,000 stakes uplift from last season.

The series began with Pacheco’s victory in the Poverty Bay Turf Club Cup (2600m) at Taupo on October 10 and Agera’s Listed Matamata Cup (1600m) success on October 17. The third leg was the Waverley Cup (2200m) on October 19, which was won by Just Charlie, and then Agera scored his second win of the series in the Feilding Cup (2050m) on November 1.

View the full article