Coldplay hits the top
COLDPLAY made sweet music in the Group III Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.
The least fancied of three Murray Baker and Andrew Forsmantrained runners in the feature, she was clearly superior to her stablemates and the remainder of a quality field.
The daughter of Savabeel had to work hard to overhaul second placed Ronchi while Stylish Attack ran a highly promising third.
A stylish fresh-up winner over 1400m, Coldplay stepped up in class and distance for the $70,000 feature and delivered one of the performances of her career.
The winner’s pacemaking stablemate Saint Emilion battled into fourth ahead of Hong Kong-bound stayer Benzini.
‘‘I think Saint Emilion wasn’t really suited to dropping back to the mile from 2000 metres last start,’’ Forsman said. ‘‘This run was mainly just to keep him ticking over before the Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day.
‘‘Mime was disappointing for the second time in a row. She was travelling well but just didn’t let down in the straight the way we know she can.’’
With back-to-back wins at the course, Coldplay has emphatically turned around her poor Ellerslie record. She had been unplaced in three previous appearances, and she was also late-scratched at the barrier in the Royal Stakes on New Year’s Day.
Forsman was thrilled with the run of Coldplay who won the Group III Eulogy Stakes last season for owners Garry Chittick and Gary Wallace and she has now had 11 starts for four wins, one placing and more than $110,000 in prizemoney.
Bred by Wallace, Coldplay is out of winning O’Reilly mare Forty Two Below, a full-sister to Listed winner and Group I placed The Big Chill.
‘‘She is a mare who has really matured and come into her own as a 4-year-old,’’ Forsman said. ‘‘She’s now the real deal and hopefully she can go on now.
‘‘Maybe she will go to the CAL Isuzu next but Murray and the two Gar(r)ys can work that out.’’
The Group II CAL Isuzu (1600m) is run at Te Rapa on December 10.
Ronchi settled in a perfect trail for jockey Grant Cooksley and ran well, but Craig Grylls aboard Coldplay had a solid bead on his rival.
‘‘There was good speed on,’’ Grylls said. ‘‘She was off the nickle early but she came up underneath me and I was always confident of picking up Ronchi.
Stephen Marsh received a pleasant surprise when Ruud Not Too produced a stirring first-up performance to win a competitive Rating 85 race.
The Cambridge trainer believed she was the best of the three runners he lined up in the race but still didn’t expect to win the sprint.
As it turned out, Ruud Not Too was a touch too good for stablemate Rocanto with Chachar taking third off the favourite Go Nicholas.
Unraced since April, Ruud Not Too bounced out of her handy gate to lead for Danielle Johnson and the Bernardini mare kicked on determinedly to beat her stablemate.