Lasarla beats the odds
MOIRA and Kieran Murdoch’s ‘‘beautiful mare’’ caused a major upset in the Group II fillies and mares feature at Pukekohe yesterday.
Larsala and jockey-of-the-moment Cameron Lammas burst into the limelight in the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at astronomical odds.
Waiuku training partners Moira and daughter Kieran Murdoch were ‘‘chuffed’’ with the performance of a horse they have had an opinion of ‘‘from day one’’.
‘‘She’s never put a foot wrong,’’ Moira Murdoch said. ‘‘She’s just a beautiful animal.
‘‘She has always shown us a lot of ability - I know she’s only a one win horse but you’ve just got to have a go sometimes.’’
Having a go paid off for owner and breeder Clyde Buckingham who offered the filly out of Danehill mare Imco Main at Karaka as a yearling but took her home after bidding stopped at $20,000.
Now connections have a rising star on their hands if the words of Lammas prove correct.
‘‘She’s still got a lot to learn,’’ the winning rider said. ‘‘She’s going to improve.’’
Punters who had a go were rubbing their hands in glee at the odds of $101 on the final field and $60 on the tote.
The quinella return with locally trainer Somethingvain was a whopping $1071 and the trifecta with Slice Of Class grabbing third was $35,232.
Race favourite Francaletta tasted defeat for the first time after she failed to run o, fading to finish tenth.
Punters got it spot on in the first of the day’s black-type races but not before they got a fright.
They weren’t alone, winning jockey Mark Du Plessis got ‘‘a hell of a fright’’ but his speedy filly Talaria had enough in the tank to hold off the late charge of Oscar Eight.
The O’Reilly filly from the Byerley Park stable of Peter and Dawn Williams and Paul Richards made owner Gert Beemsterboer’s $100,000 investment at the Karaka Yearling Sale a wise one with black-type on debut.
The familiar Barneswood Farm, Beemsterboer and Sarah Green colours were carried by Vavasour winner of last year’s Counties Cup and earlier by Group I winner Planet Rock.
Talaria is from a prolific juvenile family and will try and add to that in the $1 million Karaka Million in January.
Her win in the $50,000 Listed Murdoch Newell Stakes will guarantee her a start in the race her trainers have in mind.
‘‘I probably rode her a bit too confidently, I thought she would win easier than she did,’’ Du Plessis said.’’
Runner-up Oscar Eight also has Karaka Million ambitions with trainer Nigel Tiley hoping his earnings will elevate the Showcasing gelding into the field.
‘‘It was a really good run,’’ Tiley said. ‘‘We drew wide and had to go back which made his effort even better.’’
TAB bookmaker Thad Taylor woke up on Saturday moening to the news plunge horse Summer Passage had been withdrawn form the race causing a 27 per cent final field deduction.
Odds makers had a new headache when money poured in for Talaria, her odds of $3.20 crashing into $2.30 by post-time.
‘‘It was one way traffic,’’ Taylor said. ‘‘And the punters got it right.’’
❚ THE class of rising staying star Chocante shone brightly in the Counties Cup. Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh has long held a high opinion of the 4-year-old gelding raced by his breeders David Price and Mark Freeman of Wellington.
They bred the big, powerful son of Shocking from their unraced O’Reilly mare Strictly Maternal and who helped jockey Craig Grylls by riding the horse hard from the grandstand in the closing stages of Saturday’s $100,000 Group III feature over 2100m.
‘‘There was no stopping the three of us,’’ Marsh said after watching the race with Freeman and Price. ‘‘We jumped aboard and helped Craig out over the last bit.
‘‘We made a plan to be positive and through no fault of Craig’s he got trapped wide, but the horse was still good enough to win.
‘‘I think he’s got a very bright future, we’ve always said he could be our six and seven-year-old cup horse.’’
Yesterday was just his 10th start and fourth win. He won his maiden last season over 1950m at Rotorua and was then tested in the Group III Championship Stakes over 2100m at Ellerslie.
He finished eighth after being hampered by a fallen runner and came back this season for a win over 1400m and a 1600m win and second at Trentham before Saturday.