Inch perfect
Prior to Saturday’s running of the Mufhasa Stakes (Gr 1, 1600) punters had difficulty separating Waitak (Proisir), La Crique (Vadamos) and Legarto (Proisir) and to their credit these three finished second, third and fourth but a patient and perfectly timed ride from George Rooke aboard Provence (Savabeel) stole the show which included an agonizing wait for the officials to declare the winner.
A nose separated the first three but the delay only added to the drama due to the photo finish camera’s malfunction. The judge had to call upon a still from the video replay to make the call, which, to the naked eye, suggested that Provence had just held on, having taken a half–length lead with a 100 metres to run.
Rooke’s ride saw Provence cover no extra ground throughout but when leader Khafre (American Pharoah) drifted away from the fence near the 200 metres, Rooke quickly shot Provence through along the rail and, likely, the winning of the race. From the 600 metres both Waitak and La Crique had to make their runs from second–last and last respectively.
“I thought we were second”, said Provence’s breeder and part–owner, Tony Rider of Milan Park. Unaware that the photo finish camera was out of action, the long delay caused many in the unsaddling area to believe the race might be called a dead–heat.
As Dylan Johnson (trainer Stephen Marsh’s stable representative) stated during the presentation, Rider has invested heavily into his breeding operation and to be rewarded with a third Group 1 from the mare is only right and proper.
Provence’s first Group 1 run came in January, also at Trentham, landing the Thorndon Mile (Gr 1, 1600m). The Thordon Mile will be run as a Group 2 race next month but if there was to be an asterisk attached to her Thorndon win, she has two more Group 1s as insurance. At Ellerslie in March she took out a competitive New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 1, 1600), the same day as the NZB Kiwi (RL, 1500m).
With this her seventh win in 19 starts Provence took her bank account beyond $1 million. She is one of three winners from three to race from Sombreuil (Flying Spur), a daughter of Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner Te Akau Rose (Thorn Park). Sombreuil produced a sister to Provence and Damask Rose in 2022 which is yet to race and after foaling her 2024 colt, Sombreuil went back to Savabeel (Zabeel).
Prior to the running of the Mufhasa Stakes Kiwi Chronicles spoke with Milan Park’s Rider about the March win. Rider is still in disbelief that he bred, not only Provence, but also the Kiwi winner, Damask Rose (Savabeel), a younger sister to Provence. “That day was simply unbelievable. To do that at Ellerslie and breed the winner of New Zealand’s richest ever race, I was lost for words. It’s what breeders dream about.”
Rider was quick to point that Milan Park will offer a Super Seth (Dundeel) half-brother (Lot 138) to Provence and Damask Rose at NZB’s Centenary Yearling Sale at Karaka next month, his comment made in the birdcage at Trentham where the first four National Yearling sales were held before they were moved to a designated ground near the entrance to the Trentham straight in 1930.
At Karaka, Milan Park will be without the presence of John Jeffs, always known as “JJ” and whose knowledge of the industry and its people, plus his ultra professional marshalling of yearling parades, was second to none. Sadly, JJ lost his battle with cancer and died late last month. JJ had time for everybody, yet was all business when it mattered. Milan Park and Karaka will miss his positive outlook and first rate organizational capabilities.
Versatile
Trentham’s undercard saw The Scunner (Shamexpress) become the newest stakes winner for Shamexpress (O’Reilly) whose fortunes have grown enormously this year through the deeds of outstanding sprinter Ka Ying Rising.
Of the 11 runners in Saturday’s race, eight were weighted at 53 kilograms, the minimum, including The Scunner, which suggested that the overall field quality for the Spring Sprint (Gr 3, 1400m) was not all that strong. Balancing that was the good winning time of 1:22.88.
The Scunner took over second before they reached the big bend and went to the lead near the 200 metres. Near the line the challenge from Mystic Park (Ocean Park) was repelled convincingly when The Scunner lifted again to score quite easily for his sixth win in 15 starts, taking his prize-money earnings beyond $228,000 in the process.
It was a good training effort from Awapuni-based trainer Ashley Meadows as The Scunner’s previous start, third in the Group 3 Thompson Handicap was run over 1600 metres. The six-year-old is proving quite versatile and has recorded wins on Heavy 10 tracks as well as a Good 4, the prevailing conditions at Trentham on Saturday.
The Scunner is the 16th stakes for Windsor Park Stud’s Shamexpress but the first from Miss Daphne (Diamond Express) who has foaled eight winners from eight to race. Miss Daphne ranks as a half-sister to Group 3-winning sprinter San Bernardino (Gold Mine) and is from a half-sister to dual Group 1-winning sprinter Gee I Jane (Jahafil) as well as Group 3 scorer Miss Jessie Jay (Spectacularphantom). The latter is the dam of the outstanding three-year-old filly Katie Lee (Pins), the family managed expertly by Denny and Mark Baker of Hallmark Stud.
More good blood can be found in Miss Daphne’s pedigree. She is a daughter of Diamond Express (Success Express), the son of champion racemare Tudor Light (All A’Light II). Miss Daphne’s dam is by The Commander (Sir Tristram) whose dam is Diamond Lover (Sticks And Stones), one of five Group 1 winners from the legendary Eight Carat (Pieces Of Eight).
Overdue
Pukekohe’s Concorde Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) was also the first stakes win for Midnight Edition, the four-year-old son of Wrote (High Chaparral), who became the sixth individual stakes winner for Brent Gillovic’s Highview Stud stallion.
Matt Cameron took all luck out of play by sending Midnight Edition to the front within the first 200 metres. Upon straightening he maintained a solid clip and went clear at the 200 metres. The challenges came late but the winning break was enough to ensure the win, Midnight Edition’s fifth in 17 starts for prize-money earnings of $273,475.
The gelding was due bold caps having finished a solid third in the Counties Bowl (Group 3, 1100m), also at Pukekohe, his home track, last month. Prior to that he recorded a second placing in the weight-for-age Sweynesse Stakes (Gr 3, 1215m) at Rotorua in October. Last season at three he dead-heated for first in the Auckland Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m), only to be relegated to second after making contact near the post.
His dam is doing a wonderful job as a producer. From three foals to race all have achieved black type. Her 2018 foal Midnight Mass (Proisir) has won seven and is Listed placed in Adelaide. Her 2019 foal Midnight Scandal (Belardo) has won five times and is also Listed placed.
Mum, Midnight Gossip (Showcasing) just missed black type when running fourth in the 2016 New Zealand One Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m). She was lightly raced having scored two wins in her six starts while her dam, Nancho Bella (Mr Nancho) was a Listed–placed winner of three races.
Older readers might remember the deeds of Piko (Ayrshire Bard) whose three-year-old season was one for the books. Not only did Piko land the Great Northern Derby (Gr 1, 12f) and the New Zealand Derby (Gr 2, 12f), he also won six Guineas races, at Ellerslie, Trentham, Te Rapa, Avondale, Hastings and Wanganui. Nancho Bella’s great granddam and Piko are half-relations.
Penny dropped
The fourth stakes race in New Zealand over the weekend, the Bonecrusher Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m), went to Australian-bred That’s Gold (Lucky Vega) who took ten races to break his maiden only to step up to stakes class at start 11 and land his first stakes success, also the fourth stakes success for his sire Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega).
Prior to his maiden victory at Te Aroha last month, That’s Gold had placed third three times and was an unlucky fourth at Listed level as a two-year-old. Starting fifth favourite in an even Bonecrusher field, he had plenty to do from back of midfield on the rails and had to emerge from traffic at the 300 metres. Once in clear air he cruised up to second soon after and from the 100 metres lengthened stride nicely to have the race well under control at the finish. He may have taken ten starts to break through but this was a statement. The penny may have dropped.
That’s Gold was sourced from the 2024 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale for $57,500 by his trainer Chris Wood in conjunction with the Moroney/Bruggeman agency. His dam, Sydney– placed Longmu (Sebring), is one of five winners from the Adelaide Listed winner Hooness (Exceed And Excel).
There is a connection to the New Zealand Stud Book as Hooness’s granddam is the Listed placed Tidal Rhythm (Western Symphony), herself a daughter of champion three-year-old Tidal Light (Diagramatic), a three-time Group 1 winner of ten races. The New Zealand connection is fleeting as Tidal Light’s family is all Australian.
Old adage
“Don’t race three-year-olds against older horses before Christmas, especially fillies” is the old adage but impressive filly Sibling Rivalry (Satono Aladdin), the only three-year-old in Pukekohe’s Benchmark 65 on Saturday, tossed it aside.
The filly sat outside the leader to the straight, took over then broke clear inside the 200 metres and had her opponents in trouble. Rider Billy Pinn was able to ease her down late, taking her record to two wins in three starts. Although not very big, the filly has talent and gives her best.
Sibling Rivalry has twice been through the Karaka ring. She fetched $65,000 as a weanling then was pinhooked for $220,000 at the 2024 NZB Karaka Yearling Sales, selected by David Ellis and his Te Akau Racing empire. She is one of three winners from Justlikeyasister (Gold Centre), a five-time winning half-sister to Wazawatsyn (Tuscany Flyer) whose ten wins included a trio of Listed successes at Riccarton and Wingatui. NZB’s Summer Yearling sale features Lot 971, Sibling Rivalry’s half-sister by Profondo (Deep Impact).