Double the delight for winning jockey
A start in the Group I New Zealand Oaks is not a definite despite Sacred Rhythm’s impressive winning performance at New Plymouth yesterday.
The Tony Pike-trained daughter of Pentire franked her last performance when she finished 12th of 13 runners in a special conditions 1400m race at Ellerslie, although there was a definite reason behind it.
‘‘Her saddle slipped,’’ stable rep Nicole Brown said. ‘‘It just slipped when she jumped out and Leith [Innes] could not ride her out properly.’’
With the saddle secured and Vinnie Colgan on board, Sacred Rhythm showed definite staying potential to win the listed Bob Sharrock Memorial Oaks Prelude over 1800m at Pukekura.
Brown said it was likely they would see how she came through the race before deciding whether to push on for a shot at the Oaks at Trentham.
‘‘She’s still very green in her races so I’m not sure if he wants to go there. She balanced up in the straight nicely today, though, so that was really good.’’
Favourite Storytime made it a decent staying race when jockey Rosie Myers took off at the 650m mark and she kicked clear near the top of the straight before fading on her run as she was passed by Date Night for Graeme and Debbie Rogerson, who finished second, threequarters of a length away from the winner. While a number of northern jockeys rightly opted to stay at Ellerslie for the Avondale Cup and Guineas, Colgan headed south and might just stay with Sacred Rhythm if the stable pushes ahead towards the $300,000 staying feature for fillies.
Brown had little doubt Sacred Rhythm would handle the 2400m journey.
‘‘She’s a real quality staying mare in the making, so that’s exciting.’’
Meanwhile, veteran New Plymouth trainer John Wheeler brought up win No 999 in New Zealand after he produced outsider Irish Flame to win the Group III Phoenix Park 2YO Classic at Pukekura yesterday.
Punters did not share Wheeler’s optimism as they sent Irish Flame out at $16 and they would hardly have felt nervous after the son of Zed reared at the start and missed the kick before getting to the back of the field.
Jockey Dylan Turner took Irish Flame to the lead shortly after the turn and he ran away from his rivals to win by four lengths. MATAMATA trainer Glenn Old followed in his father’s footsteps at Pukekura Raceway yesterday.
Old’s father Kevin won four successive Caltex Gold Cups at New Plymouth with grand stayer Seven Forty Seven with Glenn taking out the 2017 version, the Platinum Homes Taranaki Cup, with Our King Sway.
The 6-year-old Shinko King gelding proved too strong to the line in the Group III $80,000 race over 1800m, as he outlasted Reefton Cup winner Overtheriver by a long neck.
The win was also a celebration for apprentice jockey Anna Jones who racked up her 100th winner.
The winner of four of his 26 starts, Our King Sway has often been his own worst enemy as he gets back and finds trouble more often than not in his runs.
That was the case in his last start when he finished fifth in the Counties Cup, less than two lengths from the winner Consensus.
‘‘They often run off him and leave him flat footed, so he just got a bit of luck today,’’ Glenn Old said.
There was plenty of celebrations coming from the owners in the bird cage as they repeatedly praised Jones for her ride after asking her to get moving at the 1000m pre-race.
Old, too, was delighted with the ride of Jones while he thought the soft track conditions also suited his horse.
‘‘She rode to instructions perfectly as he always fights to the line, you never have to worry about that.’’
Plans for Our King Sway will start with a ‘‘freshen up’’ before they head to Tauranga for the Japan Trophy.
‘‘He likes right handed better and we’ll keep him fresh for that.’’
Jones was naturally delighted to bring up her first major milestone in a group race.
‘‘It certainly was a great way to do it,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s just so lovely to win it for a Matamata trainer as well because they just support me so much.’’
Jones said she got on to the back of former top performer Nashville who took her into the race perfectly. ‘‘I just left it down to the King to finish it off. It’s pretty hard to top.’’
Stratford Cup winner Cruiser put in another top effort to finish third, a further neck away.
Taranaki trainer Allan Sharrock gave locals some hope of victory down the straight with Twoznotenough, who finished a solid fourth, a further long neck away.
GLENN MCLEAN