He’s Gold wins again
IT is not just the Kurow track yesterday’s Kurow Cup winner He’s Gold is a fan of.
The Danny Champion and Kezia Murphytrained galloper kept his unbeaten record at the North Otago venue intact with a gritty win in the 1400m feature.
The horse clearly loves Kurow, having raced there twice for two wins, but it may not be his favourite track.
His brilliant spring and summer form has come after Champion and Murphy moved from Ashburton to Riccarton earlier this year.
‘‘Since we went to Riccarton, he has grown another leg,’’ Champion said.
‘‘We have been lucky getting firm tracks with him, too, I think. He has really stepped up this season.’’
Champion credited apprentice Gee Saejorhor for a top ride on his sometimes tricky galloper.
‘‘It was a great ride because he can pull quite hard.’’
The 3kg claimer let He’s Gold get into a nice rhythm outside the leader, Tomm Jones, before asking the horse for an effort in the straight.
There was drama early in the cup when Terry Moseley fell from the saddle of He Kin
Fly, but both horse and rider were uninjured.
He’s Gold may have a tilt at next month’s listed Timaru Stakes over 1400m at Riccarton, and Champion said he could strip even fitter for that race.
‘‘We might look at the Timaru Stakes now because he just keeps putting his hand up.
‘‘We were a little bit worried today because it was four weeks between his runs and he does pretty well between his races. So, he will improve with that.’’
He’s Gold was bred by John Wheeler, who also trained him before he came to the South Island three years ago.
‘‘Wheels always said he had a lot of ability but he had a lot of idiosyncrasies and funny, quirky habits,’’ Champion said.
‘‘But, he has come right with them. He is a lightly raced older horse, so he had taken a bit of time to mature and he has been a bit of a rogue.’’
The ChampionMurphy stable also have big targets in mind for Sulcifera, who won at Timaru on Friday.
The mare scored a two and ahalflength victory in rating 72 company over 2100m.
Sulcifera sits 23rd on the order of entry for the race.
She would compete in another race at the carnival if she was not about to gain a start in the 3200m feature, Champion said.
Clock watchers at the recent Wingatui jumpouts had the chance to fill their pockets at Kurow yesterday but it seemed few had taken any notice of Tee Cee Coup’s 1000m jumpout heat win, as he won race 1 at massive $36 odds.
The horse was one of three winners for trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman, who also won with Carson River in race 2 and So Brazen in race 8.
Welltravelled galloper Red Rose Warrior added Kurow to the lengthy list of places he has visited yesterday.
And he made the trip from his new home at Riccarton a winning one when scoring in race 3 for trainer Neill Ridley and rider BB Hong.
The War Chant galloper was a twotime winner in the United Kingdom before racing unsuccessfully in Hong Kong.
The 7yrold was having his first start in New Zealand yesterday and won by one and ahalf lengths.