Auret delivers in Captain Cook
FRASER Auret has gone back-toback in the Captain Cook Stakes but not the way most punters would have expected.
The Marton trainer has unleashed a possible star mare at weight-for-age level with Aide Memoire smashing the field to win the $200,000 Group I Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham on Saturday.
Auret won the race last year with Julinsky Prince who, despite his $11.90 tote price, was a popular choice to repeat his 2015 heroics.
But instead it was another Auret runner at double figure odds, Aide Memoire ($13.60), who showed a blistering turn of foot to score a one and a quarter length win.
Even though Auret targeted the race for Aide Memoire, he struggled to believe what he had seen after the race. ‘‘It’s just massive. ‘‘She just hasn’t put a foot wrong from day one,’’ Auret told Trackside TV.
The Remind mare’s first Group I win took her overall record to seven wins from just 16 starts and more than doubled her career prize money from $98,535 to more than $215,000.
Aide Memoire’s jockey, Robbie Hannam, got off Authentic Paddy to ride her, in what proved to be an inspired decision.
Hannam said it was an emotional experience to see his old mate run into second, a further long neck ahead of the third placed Ringo.
Hannam made the call based on how highly he rated Aide Memoire and his opinion of the smart mare has understandably grown.
‘‘She hasn’t had a lot of runs, she’s raced in not bad company and she’s proved it today that she could be a genuine Group I horse,’’ Hannam told Trackside TV.
Hannam gave the five-year-old mare a perfect trip in the trail after jumping from barrier nine and when he angled her into a gap she delivered with a devastating burst.
‘‘As soon as I went through she’s gone away from them and I thought I hope I haven’t gone too soon because I got their so easy,’’ Hannam said.
Favourite Volkstok’n’barrell was always on the back foot after walking out of the gates two lengths behind the field but gave a more than credible performance to finish sixth, just ahead of the ROSS GIBLIN/FAIRFAX NZ well supported Abidewithme and a flat Julinsky Prince drifted right back in the straight to finish last.
Meanwhile, Sir Patrick Hogan has produced yet another exciting filly in Gift Of Power who won the $100,000 Group II Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham.
Bred by Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan, who are also part of the ownership team, Gift Of Power held off a fast finishing Hasahalo by a nose with a further two and three-quarter lengths back to Melody Belle in third.
Saturday’s win keeps Gift Of Power unbeaten with three wins from as many starts.
The Graeme and Debbie Rogerson-trained daughter of Power, out of Group I placed mare Capital Diamond, was described by her jockey Craig Grylls as the ‘‘ultimate professional’’ who should be up to Group I company in the autumn.
The understated Sir Patrick was not getting too carried away with the two-year-old filly and he praised the effort of the Stephen McKee-trained Hasahalo.
‘ She hasn’t had a lot of runs, she’s raced in not bad company and she’s proved it today that she could be a genuine Group I horse’ ROBBIE HANNAM
IT went down to the wire but Franco Nelson will join fellow Kiwi Smolda in Friday’s A$1.1m Group I Inter Dominion final in Perth.
Dexter Dunn and Franco Nelson had no luck in their final qualifying heat of the series at Gloucester Park on Friday night but their fifth placing was enough to sneak into the 10th and last spot for the final by just a solitary point.
The Robert Dunn-trained pacer was caught four deep on the pegs and could not find clear air in the run home but he hit the line strongly - an encouraging sign if he can come up with a decent barrier draw in the final.
The all-important barrier draws will be dished out at a luncheon on Sunday.
The Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen-trained Smolda finally got the first win for the Kiwis in the qualifying heats when he beat home Beaudiene Boaz and Bling It On to bank 14 points.
Series favourite Hectorjayjay picked up his third win from as many starts in the series to finish on top of the leaderboard with maximum points.
Reports out of Perth suggest Lennytheshark is under an injury cloud but is likely to take his spot in the final.
Meanwhile, Greg Hope has labelled Monbet‘s chances of defending the Rowe Cup as ‘‘highly unlikely’’.
The champion trotter was down on his best form despite winning two Group I’s over Cup week and subsequent x-rays have shown a bone chip in his knee.
Hope, who trains Monbet in partnership with wife Nina, confirmed the five-year-old will have a minor operation on Tuesday to remove the bone chip.
‘‘It’s not a major, he’ll come back fine,’’ Hope said.
A decision on the Rowe Cup will come after Tuesday but Monbet may not race again this season.
The Hopes will tag in Monbet’s stablemate and Dominion Handicap runner-up Quite A Moment for the National Trot on New Year’s Eve and she will also head to Victoria for the A$300,000 Great Southern Star on February 4.
Field for Inter Dominion Final with points: Hectorjayjay 42, Run Oneover 39, Smolda 34, Lennytheshark 32, Beaudiene Boaz 29, Bettors Fire 29, Bling It On 29, John Of Arc 29, Our Jericho 25, Franco Nelson 21. Emergencies: The Bucket List 20, Ultimate Art 19, Our Jimmy Johnstone 19.