Mime breaks silence in Travis
TOMORROW Palmerston North dogs. TUESDAY Manawatu harness, Southland dogs. WEDNESDAY Matamata gallops, Wanganui dogs. THURSDAY Otaki gallops, Riverton gallops, Wairarapa harness, Addington dogs, Cambridge dogs. FRIDAY Pukekohe gallops, Addington harness, Auckland harness, Addington dogs, Wanganui dogs. SATURDAY Te Rapa gallops, Riccarton gallops, Gore harness EXPERT TIPS AUCKLAND – Tim Ryan LORRIGIO: Battled well at Ellerslie, another win is close. REAL SAVVY: Travelling well in no-race at Avondale, can get reward next time. WRANGLER: Won then good fifth, bit of rain and can go close again. WAIKATO – Ross Fisher SAPPHIRE SKY: Backed up trial form to win on debut at Rotorua, promising. MOCCASIN: Stuck to its task on debut to get second, an improver worth watching. ZAMBEZI WARRIOR: Improvers run at Avondale, watch wherever he is produced. CENTRAL DISTRICTS – Paul Gueorgieff KING KAMADA: Fought for third over 2100m at Trentham and proven at longer trips. WENTWORTH: No chance with winner at Trentham but ran on nicely for third after being wide. TRAVIMYFRIEND: Showed promise earlier and second at first start for nearly three months, watch. OTAGO-SOUTHLAND – Mac Henry INDIANA PEARL: Enjoyed good trail at Wingatui but held up at crucial time. Close to a win. DIORISSIMO: Missed start badly at Wingatui, tacked on before turn and roared home late. QUEEN SERENE: Rough start, got back and blocked before turn. Good finish once clear. GREYHOUNDS – Peter Earley RED DEE: Fair run at Auckland Thursday, backs up today, follow your money. OBSTINUS: Wasn’t far away from winner last time out, will take catching today. VIDEO WATCH – Murray Wedlake KEELY BE: Closing on leaders at Ellerslie until ran out of room and could go no further. MONRECOUR: Wilted a shade near finish at Ellerslie, not surprising considering wide trip. SHONALI: Should have paid dividend at Trentham but was much too late into clear. Yesterday’s Group II Travis Stakes was the payday Mime’s connections had been patiently awaiting.
The all-conquering Cambridge team of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman have been in rare form this season, regularly producing big race winners but they wondered if Mime was ever going to add her name to the list.
The Mastercraftsman mare answered emphatically in the $100,000 Cambridge Jockey Club feature under a patient Craig Grylls ride.
‘‘I had to wait for the run,’’ Grylls said. ‘‘But when she got it she put a margin on them.’’
‘‘She’s been so unlucky this season,’’ Forsman said, sentiments echoed by Baker. ‘‘She deserved this win which was certainly helped by the step up to 2000 metres.’’
Mime was sold last year by her New Zealand owners to the China Horse Club.
The China Horse Club’s interests are widespread and have wholly owned or part-owned international Group I winners including Australia (English Derby), Tropaios (Singapore Gold Cup) and Johannes Vermeer (Grand Criterium).
It also has interests in the multiple Australian top flight winners and stallions like Dissident, Pride of Dubai and Press Statement.
Cambridge bloodstock consultant Michael Wallace works internationally for the China Horse Club and was oncourse at Te Rapa.
‘‘She’s been there and thereabouts in her races and it’s just good to get one with her,’’ Wallace said. ‘‘Andrew and Murray have been saying they couldn’t wait to get her to 2000 metres and she showed why today.’’
Wallace turned his thoughts to Queensland after the win and the mare’s trainers were thinking along the same lines.
‘‘The Doomben Cup in three weeks would suit her,’’ Wallace said.
The 2000m race would give the 4-year-old the chance to add a Group I win to her five career wins.
Outsider Endean Rose ran the race of her life for co-owner and trainer Ian Kennedy to finish second, a long neck behind the winner, with a nose back to Sofia Rose in third.
Promising galloper Killarney had to race right up to his reputation to grab the honours in yesterday’s Rating 85 over 1400m.
Cambridge trainer Roger James has faith in the 4-year-old son of O’Reilly and hopes he can earn a trip to race in Australia as an older horse.
‘‘He’ll probably go for a spell now, but it will be at five and six that we will see the best of him,’’ James said.
‘‘He might be the kind of horse good enough to race on the undercard in Australia one day. He’ll get a mile and if he did things correctly, he might have been more decisive [today].’’
Jockey Matt Cameron said the big gelding needed a bit of persuasion to get the job done, but when he buckled down he hit the line strongly.
Killarney was bred by co-owners Daniel and Elias Nakhle who race him with Greg Jones, Ron Balcombe and Jim Struthers.
James will be hoping the gelding, who he purchased at the 2014 Select sale at Karaka for $115,000, can match the deeds of his stakes-winning dam Irish Colleen, who won seven for the Nakhles.
Another rising talent Prince Hareem won the following race, the Premier 1600 for 3-year-olds.
The Iffraaj colt, like Killarney, had to be good to win as he gave Tiptronic a big start into the final stages of the race.
He was helped by Tiptronic’s waywardness and a desperate ride by jockey Danielle Johnson.