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Jason Laking poses with his partner Lou and their three daughters Maddie (left) Hazel and Georgia (holding trophy) after the win by Camino Rocoso Photo: Race Images South

Camino Rocoso strikes gold at Kumara

NZ Racing Desk
8 January 2022

Enigmatic performer Camino Rocoso shrugged off a narrow defeat in the Greymouth Cup (2000m) on Monday to turn the tables on his conqueror that day in Bully Boy, as he took out the Vernon & Vazey Truck Parts Kumara Gold Nuggets (1810m) on Saturday.

The John & Karen Parsons-trained son of Shocking, who started his career in the stable of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, had been painfully out of form during his spring and early summer campaign but looked to have turned a corner when he charged home at Greymouth to be beaten by just half a head.

Given an economical run in midfield this time by rider Jason Laking, Camino Rocoso hugged the rail throughout before angling into the clear approaching the home turn.

Laking set out after Bully Boy, who had taken the lead at that point, before Camino Rocoso surged to the front at the 150m, racing clear for a three and a half-length victory over Bully Boy with Mama Sans battling on gamely for third.

Karen Parsons, who has been battling a bout of ill health lately, watched on with her husband John from their Balcairn living room, with the pair cheering enthusiastically throughout the contest.

 

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Camino Rocoso bolts clear of his rivals to take out the Vernon & Vazey Truck Parts Kumara Gold Nuggets (1810m) at Kumara.  Photo Credit: Race Images South

“That is just such a thrill for us both,” she said.

“We were up early to get all the horses worked and get the team ready to travel today.

“Our foreman Jason Barber and his partner Jess, along with our float driver Gary Mitchell, have been taking the horses back and forward and they were away early to make a pretty long trip.

“John and I thought he could go well today as he had been very unlucky last time.

“I started yelling and John told me to pipe down and then he couldn’t help himself, so he started yelling as well, so there was plenty of noise coming from the lounge.

“To get that win is just amazing and a great tonic for both of us.

“The phone has run red hot with congratulations since the race finished which is very special for us both.”

Parsons was quick to pay tribute to the ride of Jason Laking who had been aboard the horse for the first time at Greymouth.

“Jason Laking rode him outstandingly well,” she said.

“He has two rides now and he has been superb both times.

“The horse has his quirks, but when he is on his game, he is very hard to beat.

“He seems to go his best races at this time of the year and two years ago he won the Trentham Stakes (Gr.3, 2100m) in January.

“That’s where we are aiming him again, as long as we can get the transport sorted out.”

The victory made it thirteen wins from 65 starts for Camino Rocoso and took his career prizemoney past the $350,000 mark. 

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Jason's ride impressed a few hardy souls that watched the NZ races on the tv screens here at the MM, one wag called Kumara the Moon Valley of NZ........Valle de Luna..........the crowd was brilliant, the weather to match and Jason on that ride would ride the Valley really well......cmon over Jason, join the exodus.......

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2 minutes ago, Joe Bloggs said:

Jason's ride impressed a few hardy souls that watched the NZ races on the tv screens here at the MM, one wag called Kumara the Moon Valley of NZ........Valle de Luna..........the crowd was brilliant, the weather to match and Jason on that ride would ride the Valley really well......cmon over Jason, join the exodus.......

I am enjoying seeing Camino Rocoso ridden properly. He is going much better races ridden back these days. Obviously he has learned to settle in his old age. 

Great price yesterday. I backed him and boxed 3 in the quinella. Pity I didn't take the trifecta as they were the first 3 home.

He certainly looked the winner the moment Jason angled him off the rails.

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22 hours ago, Ludwig said:

Well I do think that those in officialdom who want Kumara and other Coast tracks to be raced on the AwT at Riccarton, should identify themselves. Why would anyone who supposedly cares about racing, want to destroy such iconic venues and racing?

If you went on crowd numbers you would shut Ellerslie down tomorrow , 8 races with a black type race and nobody on course , except the golf course .

Perhaps they could have shuttled everybody from Kumara up to Ellerslie to give the place some atmosphere , embarrassing really .

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12 minutes ago, nomates said:

If you went on crowd numbers you would shut Ellerslie down tomorrow , 8 races with a black type race and nobody on course , except the golf course .

Perhaps they could have shuttled everybody from Kumara up to Ellerslie to give the place some atmosphere , embarrassing really .

Are you on course?  You could hide the entire crowd from Kumara on one floor of the public grandstand at Ellerslie.

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2 hours ago, nomates said:

If you went on crowd numbers you would shut Ellerslie down tomorrow , 8 races with a black type race and nobody on course , except the golf course .

Perhaps they could have shuttled everybody from Kumara up to Ellerslie to give the place some atmosphere , embarrassing really .

They wouldn't have gone, much better on the Coast.

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3 hours ago, nomates said:

If you went on crowd numbers you would shut Ellerslie down tomorrow , 8 races with a black type race and nobody on course , except the golf course .

Perhaps they could have shuttled everybody from Kumara up to Ellerslie to give the place some atmosphere , embarrassing really .

The trouble with these big venues is that they can work but not in isolation of the smaller venues, that in an essence is what the leadership of nzracing fail to understand. 

I'm all for the smaller venues , but I fail to understand how a place like Kumara gets a race meeting when other venues contribute considerably more to nzracing and don't get a thing, but making sense of it all has never been a worry in racing in this country 

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17 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Are you on course?  You could hide the entire crowd from Kumara on one floor of the public grandstand at Ellerslie.

Been at Kumara and been in the Public Grandstand at Ellerslie and I seriously doubt it.  Plus when I was there the atmosphere(or lack of it) at Ellerslie would have chased them all away anyway.

No point in apologizing for these big Clubs - overall they suck the industry dry and on ordinary days nobody wants to go there

 

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7 minutes ago, Reefton said:

Been at Kumara and been in the Public Grandstand at Ellerslie and I seriously doubt it.  Plus when I was there the atmosphere(or lack of it) at Ellerslie would have chased them all away anyway.

No point in apologizing for these big Clubs - overall they suck the industry dry and on ordinary days nobody wants to go there

 

To be fair to Ellerslie, I used to love going up for the NY day and day after meeting and often took friends or acquaintances that were new to racing some of whom became co-owners. They were exciting racedays but nothing really like that now. If I were doing it all again I'd take them to the coast. I got another horse after 8 years out with the main aim being a couple of trips away to the likes of Marlborough or Wairoa etc. The coast is all that's left of those fun circuits now so hopefully next year I can make it. That will be somewhat up to Freda though.

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3 minutes ago, curious said:

To be fair to Ellerslie, I used to love going up for the NY day and day after meeting and often took friends or acquaintances that were new to racing some of whom became co-owners. They were exciting racedays but nothing really like that now. If I were doing it all again I'd take them to the coast. I got another horse after 8 years out with the main aim being a couple of trips away to the likes of Marlborough or Wairoa etc. The coast is all that's left of those fun circuits now so hopefully next year I can make it. That will be somewhat up to Freda though.

Do you mean if Freda isn't considered an elite trainer she might be barred from the Coast?

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19 minutes ago, Doomed said:

Do you mean if Freda isn't considered an elite trainer she might be barred from the Coast?

She's got a better chance than I have though it looks like I'll have a full licence in due course, even though I'll only have one horse in work. The only CPD I've done in recent years is picking up shit, walking down to the back paddock to feed one and saddling the odd one up at the races. I'm looking forward to them explicating in some form what this CPD requirement is going to look like and who is going to teach it as Freda notes above.

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30 minutes ago, curious said:

To be fair to Ellerslie, I used to love going up for the NY day and day after meeting and often took friends or acquaintances that were new to racing some of whom became co-owners. They were exciting racedays but nothing really like that now. If I were doing it all again I'd take them to the coast. I got another horse after 8 years out with the main aim being a couple of trips away to the likes of Marlborough or Wairoa etc. The coast is all that's left of those fun circuits now so hopefully next year I can make it. That will be somewhat up to Freda though.

Would love to see you and I am fingers crossed(though not confident) that we might get an extra day and be spread over ten days next year rather than the three racedays in five days currently being proposed

Agree 100% re the 'old' days  - Ellerslie on New Years day was such a highlight meeting(even if I was only watching on TV) as was the Trentham Carnival.  What the hell happened?

 

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31 minutes ago, Doomed said:

Do you mean if Freda isn't considered an elite trainer she might be barred from the Coast?

Not on my watch BUT.......

If you do not fit the criteria will you be able to retain a licence?  To me it is saying we are going to eliminate 90% of the trainers so that anyone wanting to have a horse share is compelled to use one of the 'elite'(and to pay accordingly. 

8 minutes ago, curious said:

She's got a better chance than I have though it looks like I'll have a full licence in due course, even though I'll only have one horse in work. The only CPD I've done in recent years is picking up shit, walking down to the back paddock to feed one and saddling the odd one up at the races. I'm looking forward to them explicating in some form what this CPD requirement is going to look like and who is going to teach it as Freda notes above.

This CPD requirement will be interesting.  We(Accountants) have to do it but not 100% sure what the reaction of (for instance) KT Myers will be when Bernard tells him be has to go back to the classroom.  Blokes like him are not just trainers - they are fair businessmen as well so I would be interested in the content of the CPD courses(and the qualifications and list of achievements of those running them). 

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4 minutes ago, Reefton said:

You said one floor of the public grandstand.  If you want to shift the goalposts like that you ought to be working for NZTR

 

Which is about 2,000 people.  Typical accountant - takes things literally.  But if you want to shift the goal posts the rooms at Ellerslie can accommodate 6,000 (that's fact not exaggeration) so you could have thousands on course and stuff all hugging the outside fence like they do at Kumara.

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17 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Which is about 2,000 people.  Typical accountant - takes things literally.  But if you want to shift the goal posts the rooms at Ellerslie can accommodate 6,000 (that's fact not exaggeration) so you could have thousands on course and stuff all hugging the outside fence like they do at Kumara.

Why do we care ?  Isn't the topic ' Kumara'  ?

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