In form Mihaul claims five from five
Waiuku trainers Moira and Kieran Murdoch have a very smart gelding on their hands in Mihaul.
The four-year-old son of Haunui Farm’s super stallion Iffraaj recorded his fifth straight win at Te Rapa on Saturday, and three of those wins have been this year under the care of the Murdochs.
Mihaul won two starts as a two-year-old for Alan Sharrock in Taranaki, but developed leg issues, and on his recommendation the owner Karen Stanley transferred him to the beach environment the Murdochs are famous for.
He resumed racing at Matamata with a win at the end of March and then completed a double at Te Rapa. According to Moira Murdoch, he will be spelled now and brought back in time for the lucrative spring carnival at Hastings.
Mihaul was ridden by Leith Innes who has been on board for all three wins.
Innes also kicked home Neesom to win at Te Rapa for Byerley Park proprietors Elias and Daniel Nakhle.
A three-year-old gelding by O’Reilly from their good race mare Irish Colleen, Neesom was recording his third win. He is trained for the pair by Stephen McKee at Takanini.
Innes was also successful on Justacanta in a maiden event at Counties on Friday, where Moira and Kieran Murdoch also had an impressive winner in Braavos.
Ridden by claiming apprentice Jasmine Fawcett, the fouryear-old Remind gelding held on gamely from a late challenge from Bas De Soie to win by a short neck.
A family-owned horse Braavos is raced by Moira Murdoch, her husband Mike and their daughter Kieran and was selected by Kieran at the 2015 NZB Festival Yearling Sale.
He was having his first start since July when he won last week, although he had won a trial at Waipa a couple of weeks back.
Staying with the Counties meeting, Pukekohe Park trainer Nigel Tiley was successful with Makdanife in a rating 65 2100 metre highweight event, and according to Tiley, he was lucky to run the horse.
‘‘At eight o’clock this morning I didn’t even have a rider for the horse and thought I was going to have to scratch him,’’ Tiley said after the race.
‘‘Fortunately Shaun (Phelan) was able to take the ride, and he won well.’’
Makdanife, a five-year-old son of Makfi, was recording his third career win for his owner breeder Gerald Bell.
Tiley’s last start Gr.2 Manco Easter Handicap winner Megablast, is currently in Australia for the Queensland Carnival and all going to plan will line up in this Saturday’s Chairman’s Handicap at Doomben.
Also running that day will be Time Lord from the Collett Stable in the Rough Habit Plate.
In other news from the Tiley stable, former Central Districts apprentice Kate Cowan is on loan to the Pukekohe stable at the moment, and she picked up a win at Matamata on Saint Croix.