By Mac Henry
Invercargill owner and breeder Lester Smith, together with Winton trainer Lauren Pearson and driver Brent Barclay, won at both ends of the Invercargill programme on Saturday with a pair of talented three-year-olds.
Reciprocity scored in the second on the card, the Gore New World for C0 fillies and mares, and Venice Beach took the Advance Agriculture Ltd for C1 and C2 fillies and mares to close the day.
Venice Beach was backing up from a maiden win on the Ascot Park course a fortnight ago, after which Pearson pointed out a number of the filly’s traits that required improvement. Speed and power were not among them. On both occasions she came from back at the 400 and four wide on the corner to blitz her opposition, in 2:42.8 (mile rate 1:59) for 2200 a fortnight ago and 2:04.4 (mile rate 1:57.7) for 1700 on Saturday. The latest was penalty free so the daughter of Somebeachsomewhere remains a C1.
Venice Beach is a grand-daughter of Galleons Cheer who won five from nine for trainer Hamish Hunter in a career cut short by a foot problem. Among her best progeny were Cheer The Lady by Bettor’s Delight and Galleons Honour by Christian Cullen, the dam of Venice Beach.
Pearson prepared Galleons Honour’s first foal, Dazed And Confused by Stonebridge Regal, to trial stage. Sold to Australia abut a year ago and renamed Laszlo, he has won five from 12, the latest two on 20 and 26 September. The second foal of Galleons Honour was Venice Beach and Pearson is working on the third, two year old Duke Of Wellington by American Ideal, and the fourth, yearling Rise Above This by Bettor’s Delight.
Reciprocity, by Panspacificflight, won at her third start and clocked 2:44.00 for the 2200 mobile. She is a grand daughter of Oaxaca Lass, successful in the 2002 Southland Oaks and a big winner on both sides of the Tasman. Her first foal, Weka Lass, was the winner of six for Smith and is the dam of Reciprocity. Her second foal, She’s Got Issues by Stonebridge Regal, was prepared for trials by Pearson and then sold to Australia where she has won eight times. Pearson is currently educating Demeter, a yearling filly by Art Major from Weka Lass.
* Trainer Ross Wilson and driver Craig Ferguson went back to back when El Dinero won the Auckland Reactor ‘Oldest Crop Are Now Three Year Olds’ Mobile and Robyn’s Bad Boy the Jeff Walker & Cleland Murdoch Lawyers Handicap.
The two are out of the half-sisters Brooke Robyn and Robyn Maree. Their fourth dam Ryal Robin produced Robyn’s Treasure who in consecutive weeks in May 1994 won the group one New Zealand Oaks/DB Fillies Series double.
El Dinero is a three year old half brother to El Diablo, winner of four in New Zealand for the Wilsons. Known in Australia as I’m El Diablo, he was transferred to Kerry Ann Turner and Robbie Morris and has won another 10.
“He’s got a ton of ability,” Wilson said of El Dinero, who paid more than $30 to win, “I’ve obviously got no friends, no one listened when I told them how good he was.”
Wilson said the one-draw was the major factor in El Dinero’s improved result, after striking outside of the second line draws and rocky runs in his previous goes this season. He expects El Dinero will continue to race in New Zealand as a three year old but will ultimately head to Menangle and join El Diablo.
Wilson’s son Chris and daughter in law Leah bred and race El Dinero while Wilson himself bred and races Robyn’s Bad Boy. The five year old started from 10 metres behind and sat at the tail of the pack mostly. Pulled out four wide on straightening to challenge, his irresistible finishing burst carried him to his sixth win, one for every eight starts.
* Since Explosive Star raced at Gore in April, the gelding has been in the care of Jimmy Bond near Mataura and last month he took over the ownership. The former Canterbury-trained trotter, having just his second run in Bond’s colours, won the Tony Stratford Racing Stables/Willy’s Flooring Trot on Saturday, but Bond missed the race. He’d been in Dunedin the day before to get treatment on his back for ongoing pain, the aftermath of a crash at the start of a race at Wyndham back in February 2014.
“He has to take it easy for six days after the injection,” son Lyndon, who trains and drove Explosive Star, said.
Explosive Star had his first start for the Bonds a fortnight ago and according to Lyndon, hung and galloped. “I put a pole and pricker on him, took him to the workouts and he went 2:52 so I knew he should go well,” he said.
The win was Lyndon Bond’s first as a driver since Lets Play at Winton in May 2010, and just his second as a trainer.
Gore horseman Syd Breen gained first win since Themailman at Gore in April last year when the consistent Flashing On won the C1 Kubala Seeds Ltd Pace. The former meat worker, who has trained only periodically, gained his first win in 1992 with Royal Pep, driven by Brian Norman. Flashing On was reined by Brad Williamson to give him two for the day. The 2200 metres from behind the mobile was cut out in 2:42.8.
* Simple Pleasure went 2:41.6 for the same trip. Bred raced and trained by Greg Hunter of Kennington, she was driven by Andrew Suddaby and racing for the first time since January.
“She wasn’t mature so I left her in the paddock,” Hunter said, “she’s thickened up, takes a 63 inch hopple. I’ll probably wait for Riverton before racing her again.”
The Bettor’s Delight mare is the fourth winner out of Cool Ripple and a full sister to Cool Delight who won once before being retired with quarter crack issues. Hunter has a two year Mach Three from Cool Delight who is just starting to speed up in his work. She has a yearling American Ideal filly and is in foal to Sportswriter.
The Dali Express went 2:42.4 when winning the www.sirlincoln.co.nz in the hands of Allan Beck. The three year old from a prolific black type earning family was a $4500 purchase at the 2014 Christchurch Autumn Weanling and All Age Sale by Murray and Wendy Swain. He was the third New Zealand bred winner by Dali and the second in New Zealand, following Gotta Go Dali Queen at Alexandra Park a month ago.
Murray Swain trains the gelding and said he is getting better and better.
“He’s done a nice job but I’ve got other nice horses coming up so he is on the market,” Swain added.
* Brad Williamson reined Springbank Eden to success, fresh up for the season in the Waikaka Hotel Motel and Restaurant Handicap Trot. The five-year-old, trained by Williamson’s father Phil for Alistair and Denise, is nominated for the Dominion and 32nd on the entry order. No decision has been made yet whether the payments necessary to maintain starting in the race as an option, will continue to be made.
Northview Dave made it two in a row for owner Cleland Murdoch, one of the day’s sponsors, when winning the PGG Wrightson Livestock Pace. The five year old was Dexter Dunn’s only winner.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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