Clean sweep for Parsons stable
The combination of trainers John and Karen Parsons and rider Tina Comignaghi sealed a clean sweep of the stakes’ races at Wingatui yesterday, when they scored with Killarney in the $70,000 White Robe Lodge (1600m).
Comignaghi repeated the front-running tactics that saw her nab the $50,000 Dunedin Guineas (1500m) on El Gladiador, as she dominated the Group Three feature from the minute the starting gates opened.
In between times, Comignaghi had guided Sitarist to her first black-type victory in the $55,000 Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) and made it a four for the day on Killarney after guiding Scooby home in a rating 65 2200m contest earlier.
The Balcairn-based Parsons stable earlier scored with Quintuple Twins in the first race, giving them four wins for the day.
The injury-plagued Killarney, who did his early racing from the Cambridge stable of Roger James and Robert Wellwood, where he won five of his 15 starts, transferred to the Parsons team in mid2019 and has now won twice from a further 10 starts for them.
Breeder and co-owner Daniel Nakhle was over the moon with the result for one of his sentimental favourites.
‘‘He is such a neat old horse and one we’ve had some real ups and downs with,’’ he said.
‘‘He showed enormous promise early on but an injury to his stifle has plagued him for three seasons, so to get this many starts out of him is just amazing.
‘‘Roger and Robert did such a great job trying to keep him sound but, in the end, we were looking at retiring him last year after another setback.
‘‘We decided to give him one more try and sent him down to Karen and John and the straightline type training methods they use.
‘‘I just can’t speak highly enough about the effort they have put in to get him back and in shape to win a race like this.
‘‘It’s a dream come true and I’m absolutely stoked about it.’’ Nakhle was also quick to pay tribute to northern rider Donovan Mansour, who is currently off the track after sustaining a serious injury at Te Aroha last year.
‘‘I spoke with Donovan during the week and asked him for some thoughts on how he should be ridden,’’ Nakhle said.
‘‘He gave me a list of instructions and I probably drove Karen and John insane with the number of calls I made to them.
‘‘After the third phone call I’m picking they were ready to tell me to get lost, but full credit to the team and Tina as she rode him absolutely perfectly.’’ Bred by Nakhle and his father Elias, Killarney is raced by the pair along with friends John Struthers and Greg Jones. He is out of the well-performed racemare Irish Colleen, who won seven races including the Concorde Handicap (1200m).
‘‘Irish Colleen is still going well and I think it was a good luck omen today as I was down in her paddock this morning giving her and her Zacinto foal a pat and rub for about half an hour,’’ Nakhle said.
‘‘Her Zacinto colt is a little beauty and she is safely in foal to Vadamos so we have a lot to look forward to after the first Vadamos yearlings were so well received at Karaka this year.’’
AFTER a touch-and-go few days, emerging staying mare Sitarist headed to Wingatui and the daughter of Road To Rock prevailed in a thrilling finish to the Dunedin Gold Cup.
But Sitarist’s feature staying win was very nearly derailed by a setback.
‘‘She was lucky to make it to the race,’’ Karen Parsons said. ‘‘She’d been battling a foot infection, and it was only on Thursday that the blacksmith gave her the green light to run.’’
The spectacular day continued a golden run for the stable, which has struck black-type gold in the North Island in recent weeks with Kiwi Ida in the Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) and Westbury Classic (1400m), and with Camino Rocoso in the Trentham Stakes (2100m).
‘‘We’re having a pretty amazing run,’’ Parsons said. ‘‘We had four wins today, and it probably should have been five – Johnny Jones was very unlucky not to win the open sprint. But anyway.
‘‘We’re thrilled for Tina, who rode really well in all of those black-type wins. She did such a great job for us today.’’ Before yesterday, Comignaghi had only two black-type wins to her name.
El Gladiador and Killarney both led all the way, while Sitarist settled in fifth place as last-start winner Mr Intelligence set the pace.
That runner still had plenty to offer in the straight, but Comignaghi brought Sitarist with a well-timed finish and snatched victory by a nose.
Skilfully handled by the Parsons team, the Sitarist story has been one of massive progress over the past 12 months. Parsons reported that both Camino Rocoso and Kiwi Ida are on track for Saturday’s big meeting at Te Rapa.