All In Vogue with Holly
ALL In Vogue’s unusual approach to a stakes target brought an added bonus at Hawera for the well-related mare.
Trainer Kevin Gray dropped the 4-year-old back in trip from a middle distance to 1400m yesterday and the daughter of Pins produced a sharp performance to win the Dairy Nutrition Specialists Handicap.
All In Vogue was successful three runs ago over 2050m and she backed that up with a fifth placing in last month’s New Zealand St Leger Trial over 2100m.
‘‘I wanted to give her another run before the St Leger at Trentham and I hope I haven’t gone too soon now!’’ he said.
‘‘That was a good effort and you wouldn’t get a better-bred mare.’’
Out of the triple Group I winner Tall Poppy, All In Vogue is raced by the Stratford couple Peter and Min McDonald and she was capably handled by the stable apprentice Holly Andrew.
‘‘She’s a very good rider and she’s got a good future,’’ Gray said.
Andrew settled All In Vogue in the trail and they took advantage of a rails run in the straight to down Belle Cadeau and La Bella Rosa.
‘‘It’s good to be back and Mr Gray has given me all the opportunities through my apprenticeship. He has always backed me and I’m very thankful,’’ she said.
The victory provided Andrew with a welcome change of luck as the 26-year-old only recently returned to the saddle after a nasty fall at Waverley in November.
Evan and J.J Rayner have enjoyed an outstanding season with Start Wondering and in his temporary absence a younger Race Images member of the team has put her hand up. The Wanganui father and daughter combination have celebrated Group I wins in the Railway Stakes and the NRM Sprint with their crack sprinter, who is currently spelling after his runner-up finish in the Haunui Farm WFA Classic.
Start Wondering’s stablemate Regal Winks was a dashing debut winner on her home track last month and on Saturday she maintained her perfect record at Hawera.
The daughter of Rip Van Winkle turned in a terrific closing 200m to secure the thick end of the stake in the Dr (Jack) Gray Painters 1200.
‘‘She was never really travelling, but when I asked her the question she rounded off nicely,’’ successful rider Johnathan Parkes said.
Regal Winks sat back off a genuine pace before angling four wide into the straight and she lengthened stride well in the closing stages to sweep past Deja Roo and the front-runner St Regis.
Evan Rayner admitted to a few pre-race concerns with the filly, who is from the family of the former top two-year-old Crossyourheart and the Royal Stakes winner Adaline.
‘‘I was a bit worried staying at the 1200 metres, I thought that fresh-up win may have taken the edge off her but she showed that she’s pretty smart,’’ he said.
‘‘We’ll be looking to a 1400 metre somewhere with her next.’’
The Rayners went close to a winning double in the following event when Belle Cadeau finished runner-up.