Clarify rewards change of plans
AN afterthought proved to be a masterstroke when the lightweight Clarify produced a strong staying performance to defy his Manawatu Cup (2100m) opposition.
Trainer Peter McKay had originally planned to target the Dunstan Feeds Stayers Championship Final (2200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day before switching his attention to yesterday’s Awapuni feature.
It proved to be an inspired move with the son of Savabeel, in the hands of McKay’s son Shaun, downing the brave topweight Blathwayt, who had to concede six kilos to the winner.
Clarify dropped back from the inside gate before he was off the fence going out of the straight and improved wide to be prominent 600m from home.
‘‘It was a good ride from Shaun, we didn’t want to be stuck on the rail so I told him to get off and get going early,’’ McKay said.
‘‘He let him slowly stroll forward to be in the fight on the turn. He’s a tough horse and that’s the way to ride him.’’
Bred and raced by the Smithies family of Monovale Farm, Clarify’s immediate programme is yet to be confirmed, but his longer-term goal is.
‘‘He’s nominated for the Auckland Cup and we’ll work our way toward that,’’ McKay said.
His son has now partnered the five-year-old Clarify in four of his five wins.
‘‘Down the back we were three wide with cover and I had a handful on the corner,’’ he said. ‘‘He dug really deep.’’
Third home was Alinko Prince, who came from the tail of the field.
‘‘His whole preparation is centred around the Wellington Cup,’’ trainer Fraser Auret said.
‘‘He only went down by a head in the Chalmers last season so we know he can run the trip and we’re purposefully spacing his races.’’
Meanwhile, a youngster bought with a staying career in mind is in contention for a massive juvenile pay day.
Sword Of Osman distanced his rivals on debut in Saturday’s NZ Bakels 2Y0 Premier (1100m) at Awapuni to put himself right in the frame for next month’s Karaka Million (1200m).
The Savabeel gelding made the running and coasted clear in the run to the post.
‘‘He could be racing for $1 million in a month after he was bought as a staying three-yearold,’’ said Jamie Richards, who trains Sword Of Osman with Stephen Autridge.
‘‘Anything he has done today he will improve on.’’ RACE IMAGES
At Awapuni, Sword Of Osman was making his first public appearance after impressing at home.
‘‘He’s a lovely horse and the Savabeels are all the go,’’ Richards said. ‘‘Unfortunately, it went from being pretty wet to firm and we didn’t want to trial him on a hard track,’’ Richards said.
‘‘He had impressed Opie (Bosson) in jump-outs though.’’
With Bosson in action at Te Rapa, Michael McNab got the ride and he had the easiest of times aboard Sword Of Osman.
‘‘He’s a machine,’’ he said. ‘‘Opie’s had a rap on him for about a month now. I galloped him one morning during the week and it was like Melody Belle all over again.’’
Sword Of Osman’s performance has strengthened the stable’s hand to defend the Karaka Million title held by Melody Belle.
Welcome Stakes winner Al Hasa and Avantage, who is unbeaten in two outings, are also set to tackle the January 27 feature at Ellerslie. CENTRAL Districts jockey Leah Hemi will miss the Boxing Day meeting at Awapuni following a nasty fall on Saturday.
Hemi, 31, was knocked unconscious in a race day fall at the Awapuni track.
She fell from her mount Derecho within 100 metres of the winning post in race three.
Racing Integrity Unit stipendiary steward Neil Goodwin confirmed Hemi was transferred to Palmerston North Hospital hospital by ambulance for observation.
He said early indications were that Hemi had escaped serious injury other than the concussion.
Hemi was conscious when she left the track.
She is listed for five rides on Boxing day but Goodwin confirmed she will not ride at the meeting and will need to pass a concussion test before she makes her return.
Derecho stayed on his feet and galloped on riderless before being caught at the completion of the two-year-old event that was won by the impressive Sword Of Osman.
Stuff understands the Matthew Eales-trained Derecho, who was on debut, did not suffer any serious injuries.
Meanwhile, the proven Group I winning combination of Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman along with leading jockey Matthew Cameron were running hot at Te Rapa on Saturday.
Cameron rode four winners, with three of them coming aboard Baker and Forsman-trained runners Tomelilla, Highlad and Nicoletta.
His other winner at Te Rapa came aboard the Joseph Waldrontrained Princess Dillon.
The Baker-Forsman and Cameron trio will be hoping to keep that run going on Boxing Day at Ellerslie with Lizzie L’Amour in the $200,000 Group I Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m).
Bookmakers have opened the Zabeel mare as an equal second favourite with Chance To Dance at $5.
Hiflyer, trained by Peter Lock, is the $2.80 favourite. The promising son of Tavistock, who will tackle the 2000m trip for the first time, will be gunning for four wins on the trot in his first start in Group I company.
The Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs-trained Volkstok’n’barrell, who ran second behind upset winner Consensus in the last year’s Zabeel Classic, has also been kept safe at $5.50.
‘ He’s nominated for the Auckland Cup and we’ll work our way toward that.’ TRAINER PETER MCKAY