Christen Me back in winning form at Addington

Group 1 winner I Do has been named Taranaki horse of the year at a function in New Plymouth yesterday.

And to cap off a memorable night for New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock who shares in the ownership of the high class mare with Waikato Stud, I Do was also named as Taranaki sprinter-miler of the year.

I Do – the winner of 15 races from 38 starts – was retired last season and served by Savabeel. She is due to foal any day. With nine seconds and four thirds, I Do won more than $500,000 in stakemoney.

I Do’s other wins included the Group 3 Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa and the Group 3 Manawatu Challenge Stakes at Awapuni. She was also placed second in the Group 3 Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham.

Hover won the Taranaki twoyear-old of the year award, with Choice picking up the award for the best three-year-old. Stayer of the year went to Just The Tip.

Second Time Lucky will finally get to race on her home track when she contests the fillies and mares feature at Taranaki Thoroughbred Racing’s meeting at Pukekura Raceway on Saturday.

The highly rated Any Suggestion-Dance Parade fouryear-old mare is the fixed odds favourite for the $25,000 NZB Insurance 1200m.

Trained by Bryce Revell, Second Time Lucky has had 17 starts for three wins, four seconds and three thirds for earnings of $94,000 and surprisingly none of those have been at New Plymouth.

‘‘I never knew that,’’ Revell said. ‘‘She had her first start as a two-year-old in Christchurch and we took her down the South Island as a three-year-old. She’s not quite top class but she’s almost there.

‘‘She won well at Hawera second up in August and backed up four days later at Te Rapa in the Foxbridge Plate. She was only five lengths from the winner and back down into her grade she will be more than competitive.’’

Taranaki stables are well represented in the race.

Better Keeper, trained by Tina Egan at Stratford, is a course and distance winner and will be improved by a fresh-up run for sixth in open company at Wanganui.

Catwomandu is trained by Trudy Keegan at Stratford and with apprentice Leah Hemi is an obvious danger, while Te Hana is resuming from a spell for New Plymouth trainer Janelle Millar and could run a bold race. November’s New Zealand Cup winner will have a million reasons to push on towards the Wellington and Auckland Cups.

In racing’s latest ‘who wants to be as millionaire?’ promotion, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR), Canterbury Jockey Club and the Wellington and Auckland Racing Clubs have revealed a $1 million bonus for any horse that wins the New Zealand, Wellington and Auckland Cups this season.

With the three races becoming part of a series, a consolation bonus for any runner that wins two of the three major staying races in this country this season has been set at $250,000.

The catalyst for the bonus series becoming viable was the Wellington Cup reverting from 2400m to its traditional distance of 3200m.

In the unlikely event that one horse could win all three cups and pick up the bonus, the winning treble would be worth around $1,550,000 once race stakes were added.

Realistically winning all three races would be near impossible and if the TAB opens a book the odds should be juicy, but the optimists could rightly argue its not impossible.

The bonus scheme will be designed to raise the quality of staying fields in New Zealand after the calibre of most 3200m fields have been labelled as average to weak in recent years.

NZTR chief executive Greg Purcell said New Zealand breeds some of the best middle-distance and staying horses in the world and the stayers bonus series reflects the industry’s continued commitment to staying events in There was a hiccup in the Hannon Memorial but Christen Me is back.

Last season’s horse of the year made amends for an unlikely loss to stablemate Mighty Flying Mac in the Hannon last start to get back on track with a pleasing win for punters who stuck with the early favourite for the New Zealand Trotting Cup.

The Cran Dalgety trained pacer, who won five Group I races across Australasia last season, was much more like his old self at Addington New Zealand.

To open up the opportunity to additional runners, the Canter- on Friday night when he won the Group III Avon City Ford Cup at a $1.60 quote.

The $25,000 race was Christen Me’s second Group III win in just three runs back this season after he won the Maurice Holmes Vase on September 4.

Dexter Dunn worked Christen Me into a one-one sit after a lap and with the speed on everything played into the star attraction’s hands.

Tiger Tara was massive in defeat in his first start since the Harness Jewels and gave Dunn a bury Jockey Club have extended the first late nomination deadline for the $225,000 Group III New Zea- real scare in the final 200m before finishing second, just a head behind the winner.

The Geoff Dunn trained 5-yearold was super impressive and shapes as a genuine winning chance on November 10.

Dalgety will be just as pleased with Christen Me’s stablemate Bit Of A Legend who was much improved when running into third, albeit three and a quarter lengths behind Tiger Tara.

No Doctor Needed made his first appearance since April and his first true test in free-for-all land Cup until October 2.

Nominations for the $200,000 Group II Wellington Cup close on company was encouraging despite dropping back to fourth after leading most of the way.

Christen Me paced the 2600m in 3-14.60 with closing sectionals of 56.4 and 27.5.

Earlier in the night, Brilliant Strike enhanced his prospects for a start in the cup with a three and a half length win in a C3 faster 2600m pace.

The Shadow Play 4-year-old, in the hands of Jonny Cox, set sail on the home bend when he gapped the field and never looked back.

Trainer Paul Court knows what November 10 and the Group I Auckland Cup nominations close six days later on November 16. it takes to win the cup with a 4-year-old.

He co-trained Terror To Love to win the first of his three cup victories at the same age.

Brilliant Strike’s time of 3-15.1 was less than second slower than Christen Me’s.

Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen brought up the first two of what is assured to be many winners this season with comeback pacer Alta Ronaldo and 3-year-old debutant Benicio scoring victories.

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