Big upset in Classic
IT was only fitting that one of the first hugs of congratulations JoAnn Gordon received was from Tommy Beckett.
Gordon had just won the $40,000 Winter Classic (1800m) at Riccarton with an almighty fightback from The Gordonian and Beckett had just watched his classy mare Miss Three Stars race for the final time.
The Southland duo both train out of Ascot Park.
The Gordonian ($26.90) looked to be well and truly beaten when Doiknowyou clearly headed him following a brave effort from the Gordon-trained runner but somehow, he climbed off the canvas to come again and win by threequarters of a length.
Even Gordan had resigned herself to a second place finish.
Despite the tough display Gordon had just seen from her nineyear-old son of Remind, she put the credit for the victory with North Canterbury apprentice Krishna Mudhoo.
‘‘That boy has never ridden 53kg in his life so to see him riding with that much aggression was very impressive,’’ she said.
‘‘He wanted to win as much as the horse.’’
When The Gordonian was handicapped at 53kg, Mudhoo assured Gordon he would cut off a few body parts if he needed to so he could make the weight.
‘‘Thankfully he told me in the birdcage before the race that he didn’t have to do that,’’ Gordon quipped.
The Gordonian’s fight back was a bitter blow for Te Awamutu trainer Ben Ropiha and the connections of Doiknowyou after the Kashani eight-year-old also ran second in last week’s Winter Cup.
Miss Three Stars was her usual brave self on an unsuitable sticky track and stuck on for fifth.
She retires to stud with 11 wins for more than $300,000 in stakes. Ten of those wins came with Sam Wynne aboard.
Miss Three Stars will be best remembered for her 2016 Group III Winter Cup victory.
‘‘We’ve loved every minute of it,’’ Beckett said of Miss Three Stars’ career.
‘‘She’s been such a great horse. She’s very special to us.’’
Meanwhile, Kate Cowan’s composure saw last week’s Winter Cup-winning jockey shine again yesterday. RACE IMAGES
The Central Districts apprentice, fresh from thriving in the Winter Cup pressure cooker with a near perfect ride aboard Nashville, repeated her heroics in an open handicap over 1400m at Riccarton.
It was the 14th win of Nashville’s distinguished career. He beat home Luke by a length with a further half length back to Taurus in third.
The Adrian and Harry Bulltrained Nashville, a two-time Group I winner, is inching closer to the magic million dollar tag with yesterday’s win taking his career earnings to $965,607.
Cowan scored a hat-trick of wins yesterday when she also picked up wins aboard Standrews Masonic and Southern Cool to give her four wins for the carnival and 13 career victories. THE Kiwi Way shapes as a finalleg anchor for $25,000 Pick6 punters at Rangiora today, after the richly-bred four-year-old left maidens in style at Ashburton last month.
A Mach Three entire from the stable’s top flagship mare Kiwi Ingenuity (1:52.1, 11 wins), he has drawn one and should handle the step up in a rating 49-56 mobile 2600m pace.
‘‘He’s a bit like his mum who took two or three starts before she really got going,’’ said Leithfield trainer-driver Robbie Holmes.
‘‘Since winning at Ashburton, The Kiwi Way ran home a really nice quick half (800m] at the workouts. He’ll be able to have a nice sit on the markers or even lead - it wouldn’t hurt him - but it will be nice to race him in behind and he should go good.’’
His biggest threat could be the Nigel McGrath-trained My Wee Man, who is fresh-up, but trialling well.
‘‘We had issues with his gait last time, but the motor has always been there. I think he will do a good job this time in and gelding him really seems to have worked the oracle,’’ McGrath said.
‘‘Hopefully, he lives up to what I think he is capable off.’’
My Wee Man’s sole win in nine starts was at Rangiora.
McGrath’s other chance today, Turkish Trousers, ran second at Rangiora in January, and was tidy at a recent workout.
He is expecting a good showing from the one draw in race four, the first leg of Pick6.
‘‘She’s a nice enough mare who is more than capable of going close fresh-up. I wouldn’t say she’s a world beater, but she should do a nice enough job this time in.’’