Woodville celebrates orange light
Crowds turn out for Easter meeting to see jockey Hannam and Sergio win feature
Woodville-Pahiatua Racing Club had a fantastic turnout on Easter Monday for the Woodville Races, even though there was a cold wind.
“The club signed up over 50 new members and filled the place up,” said treasurer Nicola McLean. “It was great to see so many able to attend, given the change to the orange traffic light system only occurred the week prior, to enable us to allow the general public on course too.
“We estimate around 500-plus people attended the races, from members, sponsors and general public, along with owners, trainers and jockeys,” she said.
Woodville-Pahiatua Cup
Winner of the Woodville-Pahiatua Cup, four-year-old Sergio, was badly injured in a freak accident as a foal, when he was caught up in a hay feeder and lost the shell around his hoof.
The late Kevin Pratt put a lot of money and effort into rehabilitating Sergio. His four children have carried on his legacy by racing some of his horses, including Sergio. “Sergio is a special horse to the kids, to see him doing well is pretty special,” said his trainer,
Chrissy Bambry from Foxton. “The Woodville-Pahiatua Cup win is the biggest in his career (now three wins). His time of 1 minute 35.04 seconds is possibly a new mile record for the Woodville-Pahiatua Racing Club.
“I've trained Sergio for his whole racing career. Just to get him to the races was a big achievement, after what happened to him. I'm using a water treadmill, it suits Sergio — a physio workout as well as getting fit,” she said.
Sergio is a thoroughbred horse born in New Zealand in 2017, by Swiss Ace (AUS) out of Shanro (AUS).
■ Monday, April 18, Woodville Race Results
Race One: Murray Contractors Maiden, winner Snatch, jockey Johnathon Parkes, trainer Fraser Uuret, 2.09.97 $12,000.
Race Two: Ernie Christison Contract. Maiden, winner Phinston, jockey Jonathan Riddell, trainer Ms L. Latta, 1.10.38, $2,000.
Race Three: Paul Diamond Memorial (BM65), winner Sunlit Lane, jockey Lisa Allpress, trainer Shane Brown, 1.09.58, $12,000.
Race Four: Property Brokers Pahiatua-BM74, winner Meglio di Falcrest, jockey M. K. Hudson, trainer
Ashley Meadows,
1.09.39 $12,000.
Race Five: The President's
Mile Maiden, winner So
Unusual, jockey
Johnathon Parkes, trainer Fraser Auret, 1.38.10, $12,000
Race Six: Super Liquor Woodville (BM65), winner Putorino, jockey Lisa Allpress, trainer R. Bergerson, $12,000.
Race Seven: Woodville-Pahiatua Cup (BM74), winner Sergio, jockey Robert Hannam, trainer Chrissy A. Bambry, 1.35.04 $20,000.
Race Eight: Dannevegas Maiden, winner Manifique, jockey Robert Hannam, trainer Peter Didham, 1.23.12, $12,000.