Avantage all class for rapt Johnson, but stable’s Randwick luck runs out
Despite being delayed a week, the $200,000 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) lived up to its billing as one of the races of the season, as brave mare Avantage made it Group One win number nine with a thrilling victory yesterday at Te Rapa.
The Jamie Richards-trained five-year-old started a red-hot favourite and jockey Danielle Johnson dictated the tempo by sitting outside pacemaker Familia throughout.
Asked for a serious effort shortly after entering the home straight, Avantage found a small margin on Travelling Light and Coventina Bay and held them both at bay in a desperate finish. The judge couldn’t split Travelling Light and Coventina Bay who dead-heated for second, with second favourite Levante running on to take fourth.
With Richards at Randwick in Sydney to oversee stable runners, it was up to his father Paul to take the congratulations after the race.
‘‘Tough isn’t she,’’ Richards said.
‘‘Danielle went a bit wider on the home corner to find some better going, which left her a sitting duck. To her credit she just toughed it out.’’
Johnson paid tribute to the Fastnet Rock mare, who had changed her life.
‘‘Every time she heard the horses come around her, she just fought that little bit more,’’ she said. ‘‘She didn’t win by much, but she still had plenty up her sleeve.
‘‘She has been just a horse of a lifetime for me.’’ Johnson has ridden Avantage 10 times for six wins, with four of those at G1 level.
Jamie Richards broke the national record for wins in a season as Avantage became win 144 for the Te Akau Racing stable in 2020-21, eclipsing the 143-win mark set by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman in 2017-18.
It was also the 35th stakes win in New Zealand this season for Richards, along with a further four in Australia. He has won 13 of the 21 G1 races on offer in a New Zealand season, with Avantage accounting for five of that tally.
The Richards-trained Amarelinha ran a game fourth in the $2.1m Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick yesterday after being well back in the running, while Probabeel was just run down by Nettoyer ($25) in the $2m Queen Of The Turf (1600m), and Entriviere ran a bold second in the Sapphire Stakes, storming home but nosed out by Fasika ($8).
Expat-Kiwi trainer Chris Waller took the Oaks with Hungry Heart and won his fifth Sydney Cup (3200m) with roughie Selino ($22).
Waller’s part-Kiwi owned mare Verry Elleegant ran a fine second to British raider Addeybb in the $4.2m Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) after over-racing early.