As easy as ABC for plucky Collett
TWELVE months ago Alysha Collett was struggling to get rides at Riccarton but on Saturday she showed what a difference a year can make.
Collett, who is currently third on the national jockeys’ premiership with 71 winners, has already eclipsed her previous best season of 58 victories back in the 2011/12 season and her ability in the saddle no longer goes unnoticed in Canterbury.
The ABC on Collett’s silks were obviously her initials but she made winning look as easy as ABC when she dominated Saturday’s premier meeting with two feature wins and a third in the other, but the best part for Collett was knowing both of her winners would almost certainly bring her more success next season.
Her first feature victory came aboard exciting filly Prom Queen in the $50,000 Berkley Stud Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m).
The five and a quarter length victory was an effortless one and kept the speedy filly’s unbeaten record at Riccarton alive.
The pocket rocket, barely bigger than 14 hands, was a $1.80 favourite and never looked like losing as Collett nursed her up the rail on the slow 8 surface.
Prom Queen cruised away from the field late but Collett did not initially realise just how easy her mount was doing it.
‘‘I gave her a couple of hits and looked around and I was three lengths in front.
‘‘She’s just so promising,’’ Collett said.
Prom Queen, the winner of the Listed Welcome Stakes in November, now held a record of five wins from six starts with her only defeat coming when she was severely underdone in a fresh up effort at Wingatui back in March.
Kenny Rae, who trains in partnership with his wife Lisa and their daughter Krystal Williams, said the Super Easy filly would be heading home for a spell but confirmed her main target next season would be the Group I 1000 Guineas back at Riccarton.
‘‘My gut feeling is that she will get a mile on her ear but that’s not to say I’m right,’’ Rae said.
‘‘There’s only one way to find out.’’
Collett said it was way too early to know if Prom Queen would get a mile but she said there was enough positives to suggest it was a strong possibility.
Te Akau visitor Cousteau held on for second behind Prom Queen, one and a quarter lengths ahead of the third placed Kiwi Ida.
Two races later, Collett and Bloodstream were three and a half-length winners in the $60,000 Redwood Great Autumn Handi- RACE IMAGES cap (2000m).
The Terri Rae-trained stayer justified his $1.80 favouritism with a comfortable victory that Collett said was effortless as it looked.
Bloodstream won five races on the trot late in 2016 but luck deserted him early this year during his Wellington Cup campaign and on his return to Riccarton.
‘‘He’s hasn’t had nice draws, he’s been buffeted around but today we got the perfect run and he really deserved it,’’ Collett said.
Leading into Saturday’s victory, the 5-year-old son of Duelled ran a pair of seconds behind Tommy Tucker in the Canterbury Gold Cup and the Easter Cup.
Following the Great Autumn victory, stable representative Ryan Thistoll suggested the Winter Cup in August could be Bloodstream’s next major target.
Outsider The Gordonian was second with Sureasyouwereborn third.
Collett finished her stellar day with a third in the Great Easter Stakes aboard Meursault. ARDROSSAN lived up to expectations in no uncertain style in Saturday’s Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1100m) at Te Rapa to cement his future in Australia.
Despite the scratching of Gold Fever a quality field of 2-year-olds faced the starter and the son of Redoubte’s Choice had to be as good as his reputation to account for his rivals.
Ardrossan flew the inside gate for jockey Danielle Johnson, but Lisa Allpress aboard Santuzza wasn’t about to give the odds-on favourite an easy time in front.
A speed battle developed between the pair which had punters who took the short price questioning their wisdom.
It also had Ardrossan’s trainer Stephen Marsh questioning the tactics.
‘‘The horse that took us on, I don;t know quite why they needed to go so hard,’’ he said. ‘‘Obviously to try and bring us unstuck.
‘‘It didn’t worry him and he’s fought it off and won like the best horse in the race. The other horse, it didn’t help his chances but that’s their problem.’’
Ardrossan won by three and three-quarter lengths from Haussmann with Aquilo third while Santuzza punctured to run last, over 11 lengths from the winner.
.’’Take all that out f the equation, if they are good enough they still win,’’ Marsh said. ‘‘We hoped he was - just really proud of him.
‘‘He’s still a colt, he’s got a massive future in front of him.’’
That future for the unbeaten blueblood will be in Mick Price’s stable at Caulfield where he heads to seek riches for his high profile syndicate of owners which includes Waikato Stud.
‘‘I have begged to keep him here,’’ Marsh said. ‘‘Cause he has got that X factor but the right place, I guess, is Australia.
‘‘It’s just great to be part of the early stages with him,’’ said the trainer of the last three edition’s of Saturday’s race with Ugo Foscolo last year and No More Tears in 2015.
Haussmann’s run suggested big things for next season as a 3-year-old after trainer Tony Pike decided to have the promising galloper settled early and was pleased with his finishing burst.
Pike and Haussmann’s owners know all about Derby success and they have another promising prospect.
‘‘He has tended to go a bit hard previously so we settled back today,’’ Pike said.
‘ My gut feeling is that she will get a mile on her ear but that’s not to say I’m right’ KENNY RAE