Te Akau newcomers thriving
Alamosa, became the fifth Bridgman-trained debut winner for the week when he led home his slightly more experienced stablemate King Savinsky at Ruakaka.
Down at Palmerston North, Thrive broke through for a convincing career first stakes win in the Group III Merial Ancare Metric Mile, crediting Matamata newcomer Kelly Myers with her first major win since moving north and her first for Te Akau.
Thrive, who is raced in partnership by David Ellis and her breeder, Hawke’s Bay stock agent Ken Browne, had finished third and fifth in two starts at the Grand National meeting at Riccarton early last month. Following the mare’s return to Matamata, Jason decided to alter his plans when he wasn’t totally happy with her.
‘‘I kept her in training for a week but she was quite tired after the trip south so I backed off her and set her for this race,’’ Jason explained. ‘‘When Kelly rode her in her final gallop on Wednesday morning I knew she was back to her best and things went her way with a good draw and the right trip.’’
Jason’s less tapped group of recent winners will now need to step up to the next level as they set out to prove themselves in stakes grade.
‘‘We’re having some luck at the moment, which is the way it often works with the whole team being in god order. In the case of the young horses it all goes back to their early education, having a nice spell and then bringing them up for racing at this time of the year.’’