Brothers blessed by Bishop
The Dennis brothers added a Waimate Cup to their trophy cabinet when The Bishop prevailed in the feature at Oamaru on Sunday.
Eight-year-old The Bishop tracked the pacemaker Motorbike Mike and stayed best to win by a long neck. Motorbike Mike finished a game second, with Sir Amron five lengths back in third.
The win wound up a successful season for the Dennis brothers, the Woodlands owner-trainers who have won 12 races. The quartet have won another four races with other trainers.
The Bishop won the Invercargill Cup in February and The Diamond One won the White Robe Lodge Handicap at Wingatui for the late Steve and Claire Anderton and subsequently the Cuddle Stakes at Trentham. The Bold One has won from the New Plymouth stable of Allan Sharrock.
The Bishop took his stake earnings beyond $100,000. He was being ridden for the first time by apprentice Racha Cuneen, with usual rider David Walsh committed to Motorbike Mike.
“We don’t usually have horses racing this late in the season but the Waimate Cup was a good stake. We did win a race at a Waimate winter meeting with The Wanderer in the early 1960s when he was trained by Hector Anderton,” Tony Dennis said.
Carpathia, bred by Stan Jones and the late Bev Jones, won at her first start. The 3-year-old Ruby’s Jester-Drizzle filly passed to trainer Karen Parsons when Bev Jones died. Parsons took the Guerin and Robbins families into the ownership.
Winton trainer Sophie Price brought off an upset win with The Groomsman, who came from second last at the 800m to nose out Odabella.
Hapi Assassin capped two minor placings in four starts when he ran on stoutly to win the race for 2-year-olds.
He is a gelding by Coat’s Choice from Elle’s Aura, trained by Kenny and Lisa Rae for Michael Harris and Guy Matches, of Auckland, and Rod Joyce, of Christchurch.
A $13,000 purchase at the New Zealand Bloodstock Festival yearling sale when offered by Berkley Stud, he is the first foal of Elle’s Aura, a My Halo mare.
Mystify Me was a late scratch- ing in race 4 when jockey Walsh refused to ride the 3-year-old filly, who had raced six times.
“She [Mystify Me] did not get past the crossing [about 200m] in her preliminary and there was not time to find a replacement rider,” stipendiary stew- ard Jeff McLaughlin said. “A jockey has the right to refuse to ride.”
The hurdler Lord Yarborough was scratched at Wingatui on May 31 when jockey Matthew McNelis refused to ride the horse. He felt Lord Yarborough was sore.