New Zealand Latest
50 for Tavistock
Late Cambridge Stud stallion Tavistock (Montjeu) hit half a century of individual stakes winners when his daughter Snazzytavi (4 m ex Ritzy Lady by Zabeel) ran out a ready winner of Saturday’s rescheduled Easter Handicap (Gr 3, 1600m) at Te Rapa. Trained by Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, the mare added a tenth win to her record when she defeated Chattahoochee (Reliable Man) by a decisive 3.8 lengths. The winner’s stablemate Channel Surfer (Derryn) finished a further 0.1 lengths away in third. Raced by Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Snazzytavi is out of Listed-winning mare Ritzy Lady (Zabeel), making her a half-sister to Group 3-placed winner Le Societe (Anabaa) who in turn produced Listed winner Grand Pierro (Pierro) and stakes-placed Indiscretion (Sebring). Snazzytavi becomes the 15th stakes winner bred on the Tavistock / Zabeel (Sir Tristram) cross with five Group 1 winners featuring among the group. Tavistock, who sired another stakes winner at Te Rapa on Saturday in the shape of Travis Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) winner Apostrophe, died in 2019.
Group 1s on the horizon for Snazzytavi
Following her Group 3 win on Saturday, Snazzytavi’s co-trainer Graham Richardson said a Group 1 win would now be the main target. “That was enormous, and what a great run from the third horse too,” Richardson said. “I can’t wait until next year with Snazzytavi. I think she’ll get up over more ground in time as well – she just needs to learn a little bit more about being a racehorse. Races like the Herbie Dyke Stakes and Zabeel Classic are great targets that we can try to work towards. Channel Surfer will be even better next year too. He’s just a little bit funny in the head, but he’s a very cool horse and has much more in front of him.” Snazzytavi capped a four-win day for Warren Kennedy, who had previously scored aboard Tomodachi (Tarzino), Thooza (Almanzor) and Freeze Frame (Vadamos). “I think the step back down to the mile today suited her [Snazzytavi] – she’ll get up over further in time, but at the moment she’s just not quite doing everything right over those longer distances,” the premiership-leading jockey said. “I think they’ll have a lot of fun with her next season, and I think she can definitely be up to that Group 1 sort of level in time.”
19 for Charm Spirit
Former shuttler Charm Spirit (Invincible Spirit) notched up his 19th individual stakes winner on Saturday courtesy of I’munstoppable’s (3 f ex Sisterella by Rip Van Winkle) shock win in the Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Te Rapa. Trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, the filly scooted home to beat Our Absolute (Niagara) by a comprehensive 3.5 lengths, while dual Group 2-winner Impendabelle (Impending) finished a further 0.2 lengths away in third. I’munstoppable is out of the dual-scoring mare Sisterella (Rip Van Winkle), who is herself a daughter of stakes-placed four-time winner Arabian Nights (Almutawakel). Charm Spirit shuttled to Windsor Park for six seasons, but did not return in 2021. The stallion is standing at Haras du Logis Saint Germain in France for a fee of €5,000 (approx. AU$8,200).
I’munstoppable lives up to expectations
Andrew Scott said he was delighted with I’munstoppable’s Group 3 win on Saturday, revealing he and his co-trainer Lance O’Sullivan always retained the belief she was up to this grade. “Early in the spring we thought she was up to this [level] but she was getting things wrong,” Scott said. “She has built well for this with her last run a fortnight ago, then a week out on the farm before coming back in good form. It’s a good team effort by everyone and I’m so pleased for John and Julie [McLachlan, owners] as they have been so patient with her. That is her ability as she can really burn, and she will be a good Kiwi sprinter when she is four and five. Around Ellerslie three starts ago she was a bit stiff and today she has just run them into the ground.”
Back-to-back stakes wins for Apostrophe
Apostrophe (6 m Tavistock – Cape South by Cape Cross) made it back-to-back wins in stakes company when taking out Saturday’s Travis Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) at Te Rapa on what may well prove to be the final start of her career. A $60,000 purchase at Karaka in 2019 for her trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood, the six-year-old mare took her earnings to almost $315,000 as she beat Saint Alice (So You Think) by 0.1 lengths with Final Purchase (Savabeel) finishing the same distance away in third. “That was a tremendous effort today, halfway down the straight I thought she couldn’t win, but she often does that, she hits a flat patch then sprints quickly. She did that at the end of a mile, and now has done it at the end of 2000 metres,” James said. “Whether we go on I don’t know, she has had soundness issues and she’s done what every breeder wants to do with a mare, and she’s rising seven. This could be her last run. All credit to the staff at home, she’s high maintenance and there’s a lot of icing, poulticing and bandaging that goes into a horse like this. It’s a team effort, and it brings our team together when you get a win like this too.”
Tomodachi scores emotional victory at Te Rapa
Tomodachi (Tarzino) provided a fitting result in the opening event at Te Rapa on Saturday, a day where one of the greats of the New Zealand training ranks was remembered after the passing of Dave “DJ” O’Sullivan 24 hours earlier. The Sir Peter Vela-bred and owned daughter of Tarzino (Tavistock) is trained by O’Sullivan’s son Lance, in partnership with Andrew Scott, who was quick to thank racing fans for their kind wishes to the O’Sullivan family and Wexford Stable staff after the race. “It was great for all the team at home and on behalf of team Wexford we’d like to thank everyone for their support and messages as it means a lot to us,” Scott said. What a promising filly she is for Sir Peter as she won with a bit in hand and hopefully we can take her to Brisbane with a bit of confidence after a chat with Sir Peter. She is a very promising stayer and will make a Group horse in time as she has just quickened so well today. We’ve had to teach her to stay, so to see her kick on is great and she is bred to go a lot further.”
Lantern Way returns to winning form
Lantern Way (Satono Aladdin) returned to his best at Wanganui on Saturday with the aid of a gear change helping him run out a narrow winner of a 1340-metre contest. The son of Satono Aladdin (Deep Impact) had looked to have plenty of promise when he took out the Hawke’s Bay Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m) back in September, and followed up with a fifth in the New Zealand 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) before heading to the spelling paddock. Much was expected upon his return to racing last month but a middling effort for seventh in the Wellington Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m) at Trentham and an abject failure next up at the same venue left his trainer Lisa Latta scratching her head. “We left Wellington pretty dejected three weeks ago as he was gone a long way out,” Latta said. “We couldn’t put it down to a lot, so we added the tongue tie, and he looked super today. I was a little bit worried about the real heavy track but he has dug deep to win. While the weather is still good, we will put him out for six weeks then have him ready for Hastings in the Spring. He has always shown a lot and he is an absolute beauty.”