Johnson a highlight
Five talking points from the weekend’s racing.
ONE: Century knock at Te Awamutu
Chris Johnson was quickly on the board at Te Awamutu on Sunday knocking up his century of winners for the season in the opening race. The busy South Island jockey sits atop the premiership table and extended his lead with his win on the Graeme and Debbie Rogersontrained Combat Warrior. The fist pump from Johnson as he crossed the line indicated the thrill he got. ‘‘I’m pleased to get there,’’ Johnson said. ‘‘I’ve had a lot of support especially from Graeme and Debbie.’’ While achieving his century Johnson denied Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman. They sit on 99 wins atop the trainers’ premiership and train Pearlescence who ran second to Combat Warrior. Johnson went to 101 on his second for the Rogerson stable aboard Commander.
TWO: Shucks - what a great way to get out of maidens
The Oysterman was at the races for the 21st time on Saturday and finally saluted the judge. At Trentham he realised the dreams of his exuberant trainer and part-owner Stephen Nickalls when he got to the line first ridden to perfection by Hamish Mcneill. While Mcneill was doing the hard work on the son of Yamanin Vital, Nickalls was entertaining racegoers with his birdcage celebrations. It was no ordinary race - his pride and joy who he co-owns with former All Black Laurie Knight, had broken maidens in the $50,000 prestige jumps race the Manawatu Steeplechase. The celebrations were well warranted. The incidentpacked race saw competitors tumble out of contention, pulled up and rider of the runner-up, Shaun Phelan lose an iron after his mount struck a fence. Phelan did a great job to recover. The worst affected of the fallen brigade was jockey Emma Goodison who was dislodged from Nells Belle sustaining a hip injury requiring hospital treatment. Early in the race Kings Kite was pulled up after a poor jump with rider Will Gordon losing his irons. The Big Opal fell with rider Shaun Fannin escaping unscathed.
THREE: Kiwis get among Aussie action
There were no big race wins across the Tasman on Saturday but that didn’t keep the Kiwis out of the action. Hunterville father and son Adrian and Harry Bull had to settle for second in the A$175,000 Ipswich Cup with Benzini which boosted their grand gallopers stakes to around $600,000 and they got the cash with William Wallace earlier on the card in a Benchmark 75 race over 1350m carrying a A$60,000 stake. William Wallace was the recipient of a brilliant Teagan Harrison ride. The Bulls will stay on in Queensland with plans to run in the Glasshouse (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast. At Moonee Valley Pukekohe trainer Nigel Tiley had the agony of seeing his stayer Megablast go down in the last stride in a A$100,000 2040m contest. It was a gallant run. A couple of expats were in the action at Rosehill and after combining for a double. Test The World and Sir Plush gave the pair wins while Baker ended the meeting with his first metropolitan treble after Collateral won in the hands of Tim Clark..’’i’ve won a few trebles outwide and one at the provincials so it’s great to do it in the city, I love racing here at Rosehill and we’ve got three nice horses so it’s going to be hard to replicate,’’ Baker said. Baker and Collett have proven to be more than just compatriots in Australia with four feature wins over the last 15 months. Sporting a black eye ironically suffered from a flighty Baker-trained horse at the barrier trials last Tuesday, Collett could be forgiven for thinking the Warwick Farm trainer may have owed him a winner or two on Saturday.
FOUR: Isdale reverses the trend
While a number of New Zealand trainers and jockeys head over the Tasman seeking greener pastures a young Aussie has reversed the trend. Clinton Isdale, an accomplished horseman who started out in Australia as a jockey, set up a training base in Te Awamutu last year and has endured the associated hardship but finally had a ray of sunshine at Ruakaka on Saturday. Isdale and his partner in work and life, Gemma Hewetson had the thrill of preparing their first race winner when Almarie won her maiden race. In the hands of jockey Mark Du Plessis the mare was rewarded for her consistency with a brave win. Making it better, the couple also own the Alamosa mare - a birthday gift bought from an online auction by Clinton for Gemma..
FIVE: Stewards dish out penalties
Crowding and checking a couple of opposition passing the 1000m mark on Jiayuguan cost Leith Innes a suspension at Ruakaka. Innes admitted a breach of careless riding with the judicial committee suspending his license from the conclusion of racing on June 18 up to and including racing on June 25 inclusive - four riding days. Apprentice jockey Darren Danis was left $350 out of pocket after he was fined for excessive use of the whip aboard Kindaleica in race seven at Ruakaka. Trainer Tony Pike was fined $50 for not declaring a rider for Rose Imperial by the required time. At Trentham Robbie Hannam was suspended for two days for excessive use of the whip aboard Dr Watson and Dylan Turner was fined $300 for being overweight for his booking to ride Our Gazza.