Signs always pointed to Taurus
Taurus completed a perfect day for trainers Evan and JJ Rayner at Wanganui when he broke through for a deserved black type reward yesterday.
The seven-year-old triumphed in Listed Ag Challenge Stakes, a race he had placed in twice previously including a runner-up finish 12 months ago.
‘‘It’s been a very good day and it’s always nice to win your home track feature,’’ Evan Rayner said.
Taurus, whose stablemate Hundyamonth had been successful earlier in the programme, has now won 10 races and his lengthy list of minors also includes no fewer than eight at stakes level.
‘‘He’s a very good and honest horse,’’ Rayner said. ‘‘We’ll look at the Opunake Cup now, though he’s going to end up with topweight.’’
Taurus, who was second in the Hawera event in 2013, could also be in line for another trip to Riccarton for a third crack at the Winter Cup. He was runner-up three years ago and sixth in 2014.
‘‘We’ll probably have to think about it and further down the track there’s the Foxbridge Plate,’’ Rayner said. ‘‘I won that with Baltaine a few years ago and this horse is right up there with him.’’
Taurus was given a cosy run behind the pace by Jonathan Riddell and they proved too strong over the final 200 metres for Designated Driver and Endure.
Changes to barn mate Hundyamonth’s training regime and gear paved the way for the four-year-old to post a front-running success under apprentice Holly Andrew in the Wanganui Chronicle 1340.
‘‘He’s a thinker so we schooled him over the pony fences this (Saturday) morning and put the blinkers on him as well,’’ Rayner said.
Volpe Veloce’s hollow victory in the Listed Castletown Stakes provided Graham Richardson with a hugely satisfying result.
‘‘There’s a lot of loyal owners who stuck by me with this filly so I’m absolutely chuffed,’’ the Matamata trainer said.
‘‘I don’t like getting carried and I’ll let her do the talking – it was a big thrill. She’s pretty smart.’’
Richardson had pre-race concerns about Volpe Veloce’s ability to cope with the heavy going at Wanganui and, while she wasn’t entirely comfortable, she was still far too good for her juvenile rivals in the John Turkington Forestry-sponsored feature.
‘‘It was heavy at Matamata during the week and she handled it but, in saying that, we never let her head go,’’ he said.
‘‘She’ll be better on top of the ground.’’
Volpe Veloce had been an impressive first-up winner on her home track in March and was then to have tackled last month’s Listed Hamilton Vets Equine Stakes.
‘‘She had to miss Te Rapa with a stone bruise,’’ Richardson said.