Nymph Monte takes Egmont Cup
Malaysian-born rider Shafiq Rusof continued his red-hot run of form when he guided handy stayer Nymph Monte to victory in Saturday’s South Taranaki Club Egmont Cup (2100m) at Hawera.
Rusof returned to the Te Akau Racing team at Matamata earlier this year after riding for a number of seasons in Singapore for leading trainer Mark Walker.
He currently sits sixth on the Jockeys’ premiership with 15 wins, two of those at Group One level on Te Akau stable star Melody Belle who dominated the first two days of the recent Hawke’s Bay spring carnival.
Having his first ride on the Grant Nicholson trained Nymph Monte, Rusof gave his mount a lovely run in transit as he sat midfield on the rail behind a hot speed set by the early pacemakers.
Asked to move into the race at the 600m mark, Nymph Monte tracked race favourite Ladies First before dashing to the front with 300m to run. Rusof kept the Tavistock gelding up to the mark as he forged clear to win comfortably from Ladies First with Strolling Vagabond closing off well for third.
Nicholson was delighted with both the win and the ride after anticipating the event would be run at high speed. “It was a really good win,” he said. “We knew there would be a lot of pace in this race so, drawn one, he jumped well and put him there before getting off the fence at just the right time. He really has a turn of foot.
“We will play it by ear from here, although we have a few options for him. We could possibly go to the Feilding Cup.” If ever a horse deserved to break through at stakes level it is talented mare Deals In Heels.
Placed on three occasions in blacktype events, the Emma Evans bred and owned five-year-old finally cracked it in top company when she took out the Matamata Cup (1600m) on Saturday.
Trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, Deals In Heels was backing up from an unlucky run at Hastings last week where she was badly hampered in the home straight in a race won by rising talent, Te Akau Shark. Luck was back on her side this time around as she enjoyed a troublefree run throughout in the hands of regular rider Matthew Cameron.
Cameron bounced the mare out well from an inside barrier to settle on the fence. Angled off the rail approaching the home corner, Deals In Heels quickly hit the front before fending off the challenge of the wellfavoured Demonetization with local runner Our King Sway finishing in third. Race favourite Sherrif also impressed when charging home late for fifth.