Orepuki Lad holds off challengers

OREPUKI Lad shrugged off another midrace attack to win the Invercargill Gold Cup and continue Courtney Barnes’ excellent season in the saddle on Saturday.

The Graham and Michael Eadetrained 7yrold dug deep after hitting the front on the home turn to win the Ascot Park feature for the second time in three years.

A noted frontrunner, Orepuki Lad has been challenged a long way from home by horses that have eventually faded out of the finishes of his last three starts.

Those midrace attacks have meant the Raise The Flag galloper has had to settle for placings in both the Waikouaiti and Dunedin Gold Cup.

On Saturday, Orepuki Lad got due reward for his gritty efforts when holding out the late finish of runnerup City Slicker to score a deserved win.

“He is really tough,” Barnes said.

“Dunedin was where they took him on the worst, but I was able to take a hold of him on Saturday.”

“He came back to me easily enough but he still travelled well enough to know he was going to run on.”

“I was happy to keep him in a rhythm, he kicked just before the corner.”

“I knew he was going to keep going from there and I just hoped nothing made enough ground quick enough to catch me.”

Barnes has been in grand form recently, racking up 23 wins so far this season.

She looks a realistic chance of chasing down her personal best season’s tally of 33, set in 201314.

“I am having a great run. I am very grateful for all of the opportunities I am getting.”

Barnes got win number 23 when riding Spring Blossom to win for trainers Nikki White and Lee Callaway.

The victory sealed a hattrick of wins for the combination after the 5yrold won twice within three days at Cromwell in late November.

“She is going really well, she is flying,” Barnes said.

“She has got so much gate speed, she just gets into a rhythm when she is in front and she just seems to be hard to roll.”

Chokito took out the Listed Southland Guineas at Ascot Park on Saturday after hanging tough in the home straight.

The Mel and Warwick Colestrained filly led around the home turn before digging deep to hold off the finish of runnerup Milford Sound by a nose.

The victory handed Chokito good reward following her strong efforts for third and fifth in the Gore and Dunedin Guineas, respectively.

It also completed an epic comeback to Invercargill after her last trip south from Timaru almost ended in disaster.

“It’s great to see her get that win today as we nearly lost her at the end of her first campaign,” Warwick Coles told NZ Racing Desk.

“She picked up a bad virus after her win here [at Ascot Park] as a 2yrold.

“We had to put her away for a lengthy spell and it was touch and go there for a while.

“She finally got over it though and has taken these first few runs to work her way back to full fitness.”

Andrew Carston produced both the runnerup and thirdplaced Gone With The Wind in the Southland Guineas.