Katie Lee Secures Fillies' Title
- Saturday, 13 February 2010 03:59
Katie Lee secured the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year title with a gutsy victory in the Group Two Sir Tristram Classic at Te Rapa in Hamilton.
Katie Lee settled close to the pace in Saturday's 2000m feature for stand-in jockey Mark Du Plessis and shot clear soon after turning for home but had to dig deep to hold out the fast-finishing November Rain by a short neck.
The win took Katie Lee to 38 points in the Filly of the Year series, 25 points clear of second-placed Keep The Peace with only 18 points available from the remaining two races.
It was the third victory in the fillies series for Katie Lee. Earlier she won the Group One 1000 Guineas and the Group Two Eight Carat Classic.
She also won the Group One 2000 Guineas at Riccarton against the colts and geldings.
The Graeme Rogerson-trained Katie Lee is owned by the race's sponsor, Sir Patrick Hogan, who paid $NZ340,000 for the Hallmark Stud-bred filly at the Karaka Yearling Sales in 2008.
Sir Patrick now has to decide whether to allow Katie Lee to take on the males again in the $NZ2.2 million New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on March 6.
He said he wanted to make sure the filly's blood test readings and her manner was still the same before choosing to head to the Derby.
November Rain may have beaten Katie Lee had she not run greenly in the straight.
Moroney Avoids Suspension Over Drug Test
- Friday, 12 February 2010 05:15
Matamata trainer Paul Moroney has avoided suspension following a positive drug test from one of his horses last month.
Moroney and his Australian-based brother Mike Moroney were fined $NZ17,000 following a sentencing hearing by racing's Judicial Control Authority (JCA) in Hamilton on Friday.
The Moroney brothers had earlier admitted a drug negligence charge after their horse Mae Jinx won at Matamata on December 23 with a prohibited substance in her system.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) inspectors had requested a suspension for at least three months for Paul Moroney as it was the second time within nine months the stable had been guilty of the drug negligence charge.
They also requested a fine for him of $NZ7,000 ($A5,507) and one for Mike Moroney of $NZ3,500 ($A2,753), describing the latter as a victim in this case.
But the JCA instead fined the brothers, who train in partnership, but decided a suspension was not warranted.
They noted that Paul Moroney had planned to relinquish his licence at the beginning of the next racing season on August 1 - plans which were in place before the Mae Jinx positive test - and that a succession plan was in place.
The Moroney brothers were also ordered to pay JCA costs of $NZ5,000 ($A3,933) and NZTR costs of $NZ2,500 ($A1,966).
Paul Moroney said he was relieved to have avoided suspension but angry at some of the negative publicity which had followed the first hearing.
Wall Street Wins Thorndon Mile
- Saturday, 30 January 2010 13:37
Wall Street (5 B. G. Montjeu – Villa Wanda, by Grand Lodge) confirmed his class while exhibiting his potential with a group one victory in the $200,000 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m) on Saturday at Trentham racecourse in Wellington.
When his lead up run in the group one Telegraph Handicap over 1200 metres at Trentham last Saturday almost ended in tears when he nearly fell in the straight, it appeared his Thorndon aspirations could have been vanquished as well, sentiments echoed by his trainer, Jeff Lynds.
Lynds said, “It was a little bit disappointing after the Telegraph, but in the last couple of days I thought ‘you’re there’.”
Prior to the Telegraph, Wall Street had been given a let-up following his group two success in the Coupland’s Bakeries Mile at Riccarton on November 11, and he went into the two starts at Trentham with heavy backing in each.
But carnage struck when he clipped heels and blundered, losing all chance in the Telegraph.
Rider Buddy Lammas said of the mishap, “I thought we would have won the Telegraph. He was travelling better or at least as well as the winner when he was checked to last and it was just because he tries so hard that he found like he did for ninth.”
And it was courage of the same nature that enabled his Thorndon success.
Beyond midfield and three wide with cover, Wall Street came from twelfth at the 800 metres and seven lengths from the leader at the 600 before ranging wide on the home turn.
He levelled to challenge a furlong out and kept up a powerful gallop to score by half a length from Tavistock, to provide their sire, Montjeu, with the quinella.
Mill Duckie did well to overcome her wide draw to finish a long head away in third, while Tell A Tale who was a distant last and given a couple of cracks with the whip in the early part, staged an enormous performance to claim fourth, a half neck back.
Run at genuine pace, the time of 1:33.86 posted by Wall Street was the third fastest in the last twenty years of the race.
Lammas said, “He was a bit flat early and I was four back three wide with cover, but once balanced in the straight he found plenty. He was coming to the end of it near the line and I knew they would be coming from the back.”
Proud of his charge, Lynds said, “This is a tremendous thrill. I think we’ve seen today he’s a pretty good racehorse. Even after just his second trial I thought ‘I’ve got something here’.”
“He’s a lovely horse and it’s a great thrill for the owners. His potential is untapped and I look forward to getting him ready for Australia.”
Lynds had said following his success in the Coupland’s Mile that he would like to target the $3m Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in October with Wall Street.
Prior to, Wall Street is likely to have his next start in the group one weight-for-age race over a mile at Otaki on February 28, before stepping up in distance for the group two Awapuni Gold Cup over 2000 metres on April 3.
Purchased as a yearling by Paul Moroney for $100,000 at the 2006 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale, Wall Street ended up in the Awapuni stable of Lynds following a visit to nearby Massey University for veterinary attention, and the star galloper has remained in the Central Districts for owners G G Syndicate Ltd, G K V Holdings Ltd & M A Head.
Wall Street has won seven of his eleven starts for earnings of $327,400.
Crushing Blow By Zarzuela
- Sunday, 07 February 2010 00:18
Red Ruler Wins Wellington Cup
- Saturday, 30 January 2010 06:59
Red Ruler has continued his purple patch of form with a strong victory in Saturday's Wellington Cup at Trentham.
Jockey Mark Du Plessis weaved a passage between runners in the home straight to take the Group Two 2400 metre race from Manonamission and Awesome Planet, who dead-heated for second.
Hayden Allen, spokesman for winning trainer John Sargent, said Du Plessis had pulled off "another great ride".
"He obviously knew what he was doing and it all came off," Allen said.
"It was a truly run race so he gave him a breather halfway through."
Red Ruler's stablemate Heza Karma Karzi won the previous race ridden by Du Plessis.
The Wellington Cup was the third consecutive Group win for Red Ruler and Du Plessis while Saturday's success was Red Ruler's seventh from 28 starts and took his winnings to nearly $NZ1.3 million.
Monster Win By Veloce Bella
- Sunday, 07 February 2010 00:14
NZ Trainer Turns Down Singapore Offer
- Friday, 29 January 2010 02:15
Next week's national yearling sales will have extra importance for trainer Roger James after his decision to decline an offer to train in Singapore.
James told the Waikato Times he wanted to "consolidate" in New Zealand rather than try his luck in the lucrative Singapore racing scene.
James said the Singapore Turf Club had invited him to take up a position there and he had inspected facilities and spoken to trainers Laurie Laxon, Bruce Marsh and Michael Freedman as well as consulting veterinarians before making a "tough decision".
"I thought long and hard and spoke to a few owners and have decided to stay loyal to the New Zealand industry," James said.
"It was a tough decision, but it's come down to some personal reasons and also because I wondered whether I would get the required support up there. I was honoured to be invited.
"I had a health scare brought on by stress and stress alone and I know the first couple of years up there would be pretty stressful," said James, who suffered a heart attack in December 2008.
He has decided to focus on his Cambridge operation and has applied to the local club to have additional boxes built so he can increase the size of his racing team.
James, regarded as the king of New Zealand Derby through four wins in the classic race, has prepared a team of 34 horses since moving to Cambridge nearly six years ago.
"It's been a big consideration and now I've decided against going, I've decided it's time to attack here. I'll identify horses within the team to hit the Australian carnivals on an increased basis."
With that in mind, James intends stocking up on potential stable stars at next week's yearling sales at Karaka.
James, who trains in partnership with Paul Mirabelli, has an enviable record with 65 Group and Listed wins among his domestic tally of more than 700 winners. Twenty-three of those have been at Group One level, including four in Australia.
He will attempt to embellish his record when he saddles both La Etoile and Firebolt in Saturday's Group One Thorndon Mile and Fiorano in the Group Two Wellington Cup (2400m) at Trentham.
La Etoile rates as the stable's better chance in the Thorndon, having brilliantly won the Group Two Rich Mile at Ellerslie earlier this month and produced an eye-catching effort for fifth in the listed Anniversary Handicap at Trentham on Monday.
James said he was also happy with Counties Cup runner-up Fiorano going into the Wellington Cup.
Australians Take Another Ellerslie Prize
- Sunday, 31 January 2010 08:15
Australian stables made their second successful raid on Ellerslie in a month when Sister Havana ran away with the Karaka Million at Ellerslie.
Sister Havana's victory followed that by Sydney sprinter Gold Trail in the Group One Railway Handicap on New Year's Day.
Sunday's race was an all Queensland affair with the filly ridden by Stathi Katsidis for trainer Liam Birchley.
Katsidis had Sister Havana well positioned on the rail and bided his time until the field straightened.
He eased the filly off the fence and through a gap 100 metres out and she dashed to a 1-3/4 length win over Icepin with Banchee another half head third.
It was Birchley's second attempt on the race after Sarge In Charge ran second to The Heckler last year.
The $NZ1 million race for two-year-olds is restricted to horses sold at the Karaka Sale in Auckland with this year's auction to begin on Monday.
By General Nediym out of Ultima Vita, Sister Havana was a $40,000 purchase at last year's sale and came into the race with one win from three starts.
"She was probably a little under size compared to what I normally like to buy," Birchley said.
"But she was a lovely type and I was surprised to get her for that sort of money."
It was the second rich sales incentive race victory in two weeks for Katsidis, who won the $2 million Magic Millions Classic aboard Military Rose on the Gold Coast.
The victories have shown that Katsidis has put problems of a fractured leg and a ban for recreational drug use well behind him.
"I've shown in the past that I'm a good rider but I haven't always had the dedication," Katsidis said.
"I think that now is the first time in my life that I've really dedicated myself to riding and it's a great thrill to win two valuable races so quickly."
Birchley said he was now likely to spell Sister Havana and aim her for two-year-old prizes at the Queensland winter carnival.
Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman finished 11th on Brave Warrior while Melbourne visitor Michael Rodd's mount Hoofit beat just one runner home after showing early pace.
NZPA AKL
Top Aussie Jockeys To Ride In NZ Million
- Wednesday, 27 January 2010 05:45
There will be a strong Australian presence in the Karaka Million at Ellerslie on Sunday with three of the country's top jockeys set to make the trip to New Zealand for the $NZ1 million feature.
Hugh Bowman, Michael Rodd and Stathi Katsidis will all head across the Tasman for the 1200 metre race which has attracted 18 nominations.
Bowman will partner last start winner Brave Warrior while Rodd will be aboard the Stephen McKee-trained Hoofit.
Katsidis will make the trip to stick with Queensland filly Sister Havana whose trainer Liam Birchley trained Sarge In Charge to finish second in the corresponding race last year.
Rodd, who won the Group One Railway Stakes aboard Sydney sprinter A Gold Trail on New Year's Day, will chase his second consecutive win in the Karaka Million after scoring aboard The Heckler 12 months ago.
Sunday's meeting will also feature the Karaka 3YO Mile (1600m) with entries headed by top Kiwi filly Katie Lee from the stable of Graeme and Debbie Rogerson.
Keep The Peace Claims Desert Gold Stakes
- Saturday, 30 January 2010 13:40
Narrowly beaten by history making filly Katie Lee in the 1000 Guineas, Keep The Peace (3 B. F. Keeper – Peace Of Mind, by Wild Rampage) scored a terrific win in the $70,000, Group III, Little India Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday.
Trained by Shaun Ritchie at Cambridge, Keep The Peace suffered a half neck defeat by Katie Lee in the 1000 Guineas at Riccarton in November before the latter went on to win the 2000 Guineas a week later, but Ritchie along with rider Jason Waddell sounded a warning after turning the tables.
Apart from a recent trial victory, Ritchie had not lined up his star filly since the pair last clashed.
She is owned by Paul Bellingham, along with Mick Dittman and his son Luke Dittman.
“She’s a very good filly, said Ritchie, in a year when the crop of three-year-old fillies is very good. They seem better than the colts and I’m delighted with the win, but wait until she gets over more ground. It’s hard to get one over Katie Lee, so it’s nice to square up on her.”
Ritchie continued, saying, “She might be something special after sitting three wide. I thought she was vulnerable and didn’t think she would beat Katie Lee today, but would prove more difficult over two-thousand metres plus.”
“I also think she is better with cut out of the ground.”
At only her second start, Keep The Peace suggested she was above average when winning on heavy footing at Avondale, before winning her next start at Trentham, again on heavy footing, by six and three quarter lengths.
She proved when running second on good ground in the 1000 Guineas at Riccarton that she could exude her class on a range of footing, and she let down with a smart sprint on a good track to win the Desert Gold.
Waddell was equally as bullish, “She did everything I asked and more. She jumped better than I expected, but I was caught wide, so we were lucky and suited by a slow pace. She tracked up well and is a super top-class filly, sitting three wide in a gun filly field. They will have to be good to beat her as she steps up in distance now because she’ll improve ten lengths.”
Keep The Peace sustained a big run after being wide in midfield to beat Marsh Harbour by half a length, with a head to Katie Lee in third, and a further half head to Obsession, fourth.
Trained by Vanessa and Wayne Hillis, Marsh Harbour had won at Trentham five days earlier and proved she is up to the best fillies of her age, while Obsession, who attempted to dictate terms in front throughout, is trained by Frank Ritchie, the father of Shaun.
The mile was covered in a leisurely time of 1:37.73 and Keep The Peace returned $8.00 & $2.30 on the local tote.
She has now won three times and recorded two seconds from five starts, for earnings of $111,950.
Moroney Stable Admits Injecting Horse
- Wednesday, 27 January 2010 05:45
Racing officials have asked for a three-month disqualification to be imposed on trainer Paul Moroney after a horse from his stable returned a positive test to an anti-inflammatory medicine.
Moroney and his brother Mike, who runs the Melbourne arm of their stable, on Tuesday pleaded guilty at a Judicial Control Authority hearing at Te Rapa racecourse to breaching racing rules and injecting a horse, Mae Jinx, with anti-inflammatory medicine CU Algesic before a race at Matamata on December 23.
It was the second time in eight months the Ballymore Stable owners had been charged with breaching racing's drug rules.
CU Algesic contained indomethacin which was capable of affecting speed, stamina, courage or the conduct of a horse, according to veterinary consultant Andrew Grierson in the summary of facts.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) asked for a three-month disqualification for Paul Moroney citing the other recent offence.
They also requested a moderate fine for Mike Moroney.
Stable employee Grant Long has admitted administering the medication to Mae Jinx. He remains with the stable.
The brothers made a successful plea to the judicial panel for more time to seek advice on their sentencing options.
Sentencing is expected to take place in a fortnight.
Mike Moroney's big race wins in Australia include the 2000 Melbourne Cup with Brew and last year's Victoria Derby which he won with Monaco Consul.