Sunday 29 September 2019

The Neil O’Dowd-trained Aigne (NZ) (Sufficient) booked his ticket to a unique Australian

feature when he strode clear in the run home to take out the NZB Airfreight Road To The Jericho (3210m) at New Plymouth.

The race carried a special bonus with a guaranteed start in the A$300,000 Haymes Paint Jericho

Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool on December 1 on offer. The Jericho Cup was established to commemorate the centenary of a race run on the desert sands in Palestine in World War I to divert attention from the Australian Light Horse’s charge at Beersheba.

The race is restricted to Australian and New Zealand-bred horses with the inaugural event won by the New

Aigne is well clear at New Plymouth as he books his ticket to the unique Jericho Cup at Warrnambool in early December (Race Images - Peter Rubery)

AIgNe SeCuReS TICkeT to Jericho cup

PReFeRMeNT LeADS HOMe WALLeRtriFectA iN DAShiNG BMW triuMph

Continued on page 3

Zealand-bred High Mode in 2018.Successful over hurdles at Rotorua

in his most recent start, Aigne was rock-hard fit for Saturday’s contest and so it proved as he comprehensively outstayed his rivals for apprentice rider Charlotte O’Beirne.

Sent forward to dispute the pace after beginning smartly from a

Contact: John Thompson 021 779 931 or Karl Mihaljevich 021 247 8892p +64 7 888 3833 e richhillstud@xtra.co.nz www.richhillstud.co.nz

Service fee $12,500 +gst (LFG, Restricted Book)

Satono Aladdin filly ex Nigelissima

SATONO ALADDIN’sJapanese foals averaged NZ$613,000

at the 2019 Japan Racing Horse Association Select Sale.

Satono Aladdin filly ex Tarloshan

Satono Aladdin filly ex Miss Milliner

Satono Aladdin colt ex Polson

Your Inspection is Welcome

His first New Zealand-bred foals already show the same quality and athleticism...

Sunday 29 September 2019

3

BeN’S DAY BRIgHTeNeD BY DeSeRVeDrotoruA StAKeS WiN For iLLuMiNAti

AIgNe SeCuReS TICkeT to Jericho cup(Continued from page 1)

midfield barrier, Aigne dropped the bit nicely for O’Beirne as the pair took a trail behind topweight Zentangle (NZ) (Chinese Dragon). grand National Hurdle (4200m) winner Alfie Dee (NZ) (Zed) increased the pace when he took over in front with a lap to run however O’Beirne had Aigne off the rail and chasing immediately afterwards.

Taking over at the 600m, Aigne shot six lengths clear and retained a comfortable margin to the winning post as he held the challenges of last year’s runner up Where Are You (NZ) (ekraar) and race-favourite Hurry Cane (NZ) (Dom du Jeu).

O’Dowd, who also owns the Sufficient seven-year-old, was quick to

breathe a sigh of relief after the race as he explained how he had spent most of the day trying to keep his charge calm before stepping out on the track.

“I’ve had him in the sand roll since we got here (on track) to try and keep him quiet,” he said.

“We let him out and away he goes.“I couldn’t have got him any better

as he was really well.”O’Dowd also confirmed that he

would take up the offer to travel to The Jericho Cup with an-all expenses paid trip funded by race sponsor, New Zealand Bloodstock’s Air Freight division, part of the day’s prize package.

“That’s the plan,” he said.

Race Taranaki RC Road to Jericho H. 3210m

Winner Aigne (NZ) 2012

Owners NH O’Dowd

Trainer Neil O’Dowd (Hamilton)

Breeding by Sufficient out of Emlajay by Johar (USA)

Breeder C Burke & B S Gillovic

“He will go for a little bit of a spell now and then come back in and we will go (to the Jericho Cup).”

The victory was Aigne’s sixth from 26 career starts and added to a red-letter day for the younger riding brigade at New Plymouth with five of the first six races taken by apprentice jockeys.

– NZ Racing Desk

Sunday 29 September 2019

4

SHARROCk uNBeATABLe iN eArLy GoiNG oN hoMe turF

LIVe AND FRee CONFIRMSQLD DerBy tiLt

Akerra and apprentice Hazel Schofer storm to victory at New Plymouth (Race Images - Peter Rubery)

the opening 990m contest under the guidance of Sharrock’s three-kilogram claiming apprentice, Hazel Schofer.

Sharrock believes Schofer has ability to become a headline act in the riding ranks and his assessment looked right on the money following the conclusion of the second race after punters witnessed an almost

unbelievable winning effort from red-hot race-favourite, Akerra (NZ) (ekraar).

On the back foot as the gates opened, the four-year-old mare missed the start of the 1300m contest by a conservative six lengths.

Schofer was calm under pressure as she let Akerra find her feet before tacking on to the back of the field

Local trainer Allan Sharrock dominated the early events at New Plymouth on Saturday when

he produced the first four winners on the eight-race card.

Lightly raced entire Tavi Mac (NZ) (Tavistock) made it two wins from two starts when he burst between runners to dash clear in the final stages of

Continued on page 5

Sunday 29 September 2019

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SHARROCk uNBeATABLe iN eArLy GoiNG oN hoMe turF

LIVe AND FRee CONFIRMSQLD DerBy tiLt

Sharrock, who has been confident of a good day for the stable before racing commenced, was chuffed with the performance of all of his winners, with Schofer’s ride on Akerra being singled out for special praise.

“Normally a kid in that position would have panicked on a two-dollar favourite,” he said.

“She just let it slide up behind them and had one run from the 500m.

“It was a big performance.“I don’t want to do too much more

with her (Akerra) as she will be a bonny mare in the autumn.”

Sharrock admitted Tavi Mac held a special place in his stable, although he jokingly described him pre-race as having the looks and stature of Tolkien character, Frodo Baggins.

“He’s a lovely little horse and is a bit

special to us as he is so small,” Sharrock said.

“He hates getting beaten in a gallop and he travelled like the winner the whole way.

“He’s out of a good mare (Bellaroof ) and I think he will go through the grades.”

Sharrock was also pleased to see London express bounce back to winning form after producing some muddling efforts since a fresh-up success at Trentham back in early May.

“kozzi rode her perfect, as we blew it last start when we rode her on speed,” he said.

“She’ll be better in the Autumn as well but there is a weight-for-age stakes race in two weeks and she has won good enough to say she will be a chance.”

Sharrock was referring to the gr.3 Rich Hill Stud Taranaki Breeders (1400m), a weight-for-age fillies & mares contest to be run at Hawera on October 13.

– NZ Racing Desk

with 600m to run. Sent to the extreme outside in the home straight, Akerra rounded up her rivals with a couple of huge bounds before driving clear to win by an increasing two-length margin at the winning post.

Visiting South Island apprentice kozzi Asano also showed his future potential when he produced a well-judged effort to land London express (NZ) (Shamexpress) as the winner of race three with Mars Bars (NZ) (Bullbars) finishing on in to second to provide Sharrock with the quinella.

Schofer made it three wins from her first four rides when Collinstreet (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) snatched victory in race four with a late lunge to deny race favourite Secret Squirrel (NZ) (Showcasing) and chalk up a winning quartet for Sharrock.

Race Taranaki RC Taranaki Pine H. 1300m

Winner Akerra (NZ) 2015

Owners Cambridge Hunt Ltd, RP Hunt & A Reeves

Trainer Allan Sharrock (New Plymouth)

Breeding by Ekraar (USA) out of Kabuki by Shinko King (IRE)

Breeder Cambridge Hunt Ltd

(Continued from page 4)

Sunday 29 September 2019

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SORReNTINA DeLIVeRS With iMpreSSive eLLerSLie eFFort

Danielle Johnson guides Sorrentina to an impressive victory at Ellerslie (Trish Dunell)

London Bound (NZ) (Proisir), Johnson asked for a supreme effort in the final 150m with Sorrentina responding to surge clear from minor placegetters Blackrocksdetox (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) and Flaunting (NZ) (Showcasing), who both finished gamely after being well back in the early stages.

Trainer Stephen Marsh confirmed the filly would be returning to ellerslie next month for another taste of black-type racing.

“I was watching and I thought at

The winning roll of owner Lib Petagna with the progeny

of Waikato Stud’s super stallion Savabeel continued at ellerslie on Saturday when promising filly Sorrentina (NZ) (Savabeel) delivered an eye-catching victory.

Sorrentina, who races under Petagna’s JML Bloodstock banner, had looked a winner in waiting when she debuted with a gutsy third in the Listed The O’Leary’s Fillies Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui earlier in the month.

That performance made her the 9th black-type Savabeel for

Continued on page 7

the 600m we were in a bit of trouble,” Marsh said.

“She didn’t really get much of a go at them in the straight but I loved how she got out, flattened out and attacked the line.

“We will definitely back for the Soliloquy (gr.3, 1400m) en route to the South Island.”

The gr.3 Partners Life Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) is the feature event at ellerslie on October 26 while the

Petagna from the twelve he has owned and on Saturday’s display she looks likely to garner further success at the highest levels after she produced a determined burst to down her three-year-old rivals over 1300m.

Settled in midfield behind a pedestrian speed set-up by Tears Of Jupiter (Zoustar), Sorrentina and rider Danielle Johnson travelled nicely as they bided their time before making their claim early in the run home.

Briefly pocketed behind the tiring

Sunday 29 September 2019

7

SORReNTINA DeLIVeRS With iMpreSSive eLLerSLie eFFort

line.“She’s got class and she’s got a

good attitude as well.”A $180,000 purchase from Waikato

Stud’s Book 1 draft at the 2018 National Yearling Sale, Sorrentina is a daughter of unraced O’Reilly mare Rush and hails from the extended family of multiple group One winner and now successful stallion, Sacred Falls.

TAB bookmakers responded quickly to the performance as they slashed her odds to $12 in the Fixed Odds market

for the One Thousand guineas. – NZ Racing Desk

filly holds a nomination for the gr.1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 16.

Johnson was also impressed with the performance provided by Sorrentina at just her second raceday start.

“I was a little bit nervous around the corner as she had dropped the bit, just due to the track conditions,” she said.

“She’s definitely shown the X factor when she has picked up to go to the

Race ARC Bill Sattler Memorial H. 1300m

Winner Sorrentina (NZ) 2016

Owners JML Bloodstock Ltd (Mgr: L Petagna)

Trainer Stephen Marsh

Breeding by Savabeel (AUS) out of Rush by O’Reilly

Breeder Waikato Stud Ltd

Sales 2018 National Yearling Sale - Book 1 V: Waikato Stud Ltd $180000 P: Bruce Perry B/stock

(Continued from page 6)

http://novarapark.co.nz/sweynesse/pedigree/pedigree-overview/

Sunday 29 September 2019

9

Per Inpower comes with a late rush on Friday night. (Singapore Turf Club)

Powerful (golden Archer), but the treble was a happy bonus.John couldn’t, however, help ruing the one that got away

– and could have potentially made it a four-timer if Strong N Powerful had been less wayward in Race 2, the $75,000 Restricted Maiden race over 1400m.

“I’ve won three before, but it could have been four if Strong N Powerful was not so green. He was going in and out, and just missed out,” said John.

“I knew I had a nice book of rides tonight. I thought Per Inpower was my best chance and I also made Strong N Powerful a very good chance, while golden kid became a top chance after Pindus was scratched, he won easy.

“Per Inpower ran a very good race. He likes to hang in and

John Sundradas took the Friday night’s jockeys’ challenge hands-down with a hat-trick of wins recorded in quick succession.

The local rider began the rout with odds-on favourite golden kid (NZ) (Per Incanto) in the $20,000 Open Maiden-2 race over 1200m before making a swift return to the winner’s enclosure with Braced (NZ) (Postponed) in the next race, the $50,000 Class 4 race over 1700m, and completing the great night at the office with Per Inpower (NZ) (Per Incanto) in the $70,000 Class 3 race over 1400m.

The former Singapore champion apprentice jockey said he had been rather bullish of walking away with at least one winner when he looked at his book of seven rides, singling out Per Inpower as his best chance, followed by Strong N

THRee-IN-A-ROW For S JohN

Sunday 29 September 2019

10

through so many gear changes, and I think I’ve got the perfect gear now,” said the former jockey.

“I have stuck to the same distance (1400m). It’s not easy for a horse to win three in a row.

“He was up in grade but I thought he was a lightweight chance tonight. S John knows the horse very well.

“He showed a good turn of foot at his last two wins and we’ve kept him fresh. I’m happy for the owner and myself.”

Per Inpower has been a good moneyspinner for the Strong Stable, having now brought home more than S$160,000 in stakes from his handy record of four wins, one second and two thirds from 10 starts.

- Singapore Turf Club

I had to be patient with him; we got there at the right time.”The Per Incanto four-year-old gave the impression he

would be outsprinted at the 300m while favourite gold Star (Redente) was being hailed the winner after weaving his way through a packed field to hit the front from the resuming Destroyer eclipse (NZ) (Alamosa).

But John, who was also aboard at Per Inpower’s previous two wins, showed he knew how to extract the best out of that gelding inside the last 150m to make it a third win in a row.

gold Star ran second three parts of a length away with Salamence (Foxwedge) third another 1 ¾ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 21.76secs for the 1400m on the Short Course.

Winning trainer kuah Cheng Tee, who has endured a topsy-turvy season thus far, was glad he had a consistent customer like Per Inpower under his barn roof. The New Zealand-bred is now among three of kuah’s haul of 13 winners for the year.

“I’ve said before that this horse is problematic. He’s gone

THRee-IN-A-ROW For S JohN

Race Singapore TC Class 3 H. 1400m

Winner Per Inpower (NZ) 2015

Owners Strong Stable

Trainer Kuah Cheng Tee

Breeding by Per Incanto (USA) out of Saint She Ain’t by Kinjite

Breeder Little Avondale Trust