Media Sensation the headline act
Filly retains her unbeaten record at Avondale
Precocious youngster Media Sensation continues to write her own headlines. A runaway winner on debut, she retained her unbeaten record when she was again successful at Avondale yesterday.
The daughter of I Am Invincible crossed from a wide gate to sit outside the leader and she had the Contessa Vanessa NZ Bloodstock Insurance Pearl Series Race ( 1200m) at her mercy halfway down the straight.
“She was always going to go forward, she had done everything right since she last raced and she’s got a high cruising speed,” said Peter Williams, who trains the filly at Byerley Park with his wife Dawn.
Media Sensation hit the front 250m from home under rider Mark Du Plessis and they forged clear to win with authority from Patsy’s Lass, who enjoyed a good run in the trail, and the pacemaker Lismore Diamond.
A $425,000 Karaka yearling, she is raced by Sarah Green and Ger Beemsterboer and is out of a halfsister to the dual G1 winner Dorabella.
Media Sensation’s victory also credited her trainers with consecutive wins in the race.
They produced So Far Sokool 12 months ago and the Showcasing filly subsequently transferred to Archie Alexander’s Victorian operation. She has won twice for the Ballarat-based trainer, including the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m).
Unfortunately, she will be sidelined for some time after she was badly galloped on when fourth in last Saturday’s Gr.3 James Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
Ruby Armani’s breakthrough black type victory at Awapuni has opened up options for trainers Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard.
The Makfi five-year-old boosted her future broodmare value when she went one better on the Palmerston North course to claim top honours in the $50,000 Listed Manawatu ITM Anzac 1550m yesterday.
At her previous start, the Matamata-prepared mare had finished runner-up at Awapuni in the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m).
“She’s been close in a few Group Threes earlier on so she really deserved that today,” Gerard said.
“Her pet distance has been 1400m, but we stretched her out to the 1550m.”
Ruby Armani had the leaders within her sights nearing the home turn and got to the front early in the run home for rider Darryl Bradley.
The topweight Shadows Cast, who was giving the winner seven kilos, finished within half a head.
Former champion Sydney jockey Nash Rawiller has been banned for 15 months by Hong Kong racing stewards for flouting betting regulations.
Rawiller was stood down yesterday at the end of an inquiry that found the 48-year-old guilty of “an interest in bets on horses which he rode at race meetings”.
Changes to the lead-up programme to next season’s Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) have been confirmed.
The NZ Thoroughbred Racing Board (NZRB) has endorsed changes recommended by the New Zealand Pattern Review Committee (PRC) with the Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m) to now be run on February 16.
It was held on January 1 this season while the Gr.3 City of Auckland Cup (2400m) will move from the Karaka Million twilight meeting to New Year’s Day.
The latter fixture will now feature the Karaka Cup (2200m) on January 26 and supporting events include the Gr.3 Concorde Handicap (1200m) and the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m)
The Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) will be moved to February 9 as part of the Waikato Racing Club’s Super Saturday meeting at Te Rapa, even though the three-year-old event and the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2000m) will now be run a week apart. — NZ Racing Desk, AAP