The Bishop surprises at Gore with first win over sprint distance
New Zealand Cup contender The Bishop surprised the Dennis brothers with his fresh up win in heavy ground at Gore yesterday.
The Bishop, having his first start for two months, unwound doggedly to win by a nose from Comanche Gold in the 1355m Abernethy Contracting Handicap.
‘‘That’s a hell of a surprise,’’ coowner-trainer Joe Dennis said. ‘‘I didn’t think he was that forward. He’s never won a sprint before . . . never won under 1600m before.’’
The 12 horses Kelvin Tyler lined up at Gore were the most he’s had at a race meeting.
The four he started in race one, the Hokonui Contracting Ltd Handicap, were The Energizer (first), Revenge (third), Google Me (fifth) and Varvara (seventh).
‘‘That’s the most I’ve had in one race,’’ Tyler said. ‘‘I was hoping one of them would win.’’
The Energizer, who joined Tyler’s stable about a year ago, has won four of 24 starts.
Libetto made an uncharacteristic bad start to settle last by four lengths in the Davis Shearing Handicap. She got back into contention and came with the last run to win by a neck.
Tapanui trainers Nikki and Barrie Blatch plan to take Libetto and Sureasyouwereborn to the New Zealand Cup meeting in Christchurch in November. Sureasyouwereborn ran seventh in the open handicap won by The Bishop on Thursday.
Ex-northerner All Dressed Up won at her fourth South Island start in the Clover Export Maiden. The win followed her third at Timaru and two fifths at Riccarton during the winter. Co-trainer Jo Gordon was gifted the Perfectly Ready mare by Cambridge trainer Ralph Manning.
He offered All Dressed Up to Gordon because he needed to create room in his team for young stock.
‘‘Ralph did like her, but he had a lot of young ones to come in,’’ Gordon said.
Ascot Park’s Michael Boyle trained his first winner in 23 years when Lord Beaver took out the Gore Septic Tank Cleaners Maiden.
It was Lord Beaver’s first outing from Boyle’s stable. The Keeper gelding’s other three starts were for Riccarton trainer Lance Robinson and Wanganui horseman Wayne Marshment.
Two starts back, Lord Beaver finished sixth of 17 in a maiden 1200m at Riccarton in August.