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Otaki Results (Race 7)

Saturday, 23rd February 2013

7
16:26
(local)

Haunui Farm Classic (G1)

Type: OPEN
NZD $200,000
1600m TURF GOOD
7
16:26
(local)
NZD $200,000
1600m GOOD

Haunui Farm Classic (G1)

Type: OPEN

The sound of glass breaking is the chandelier of the G1 reputations falling and shattering for four of the runners in this five-horse field. The youngest runner and non G1 proven performer under WFA in Nashville gave them a start and a dose of the blues with a country and western whipping of the big names. The loud noise heard was not a speaker popping but the bubble bursting on some reputations. The winning time of 1:34.07 sounds quick but at this track and race it is not and in fact since the race became a mile here in 2006 it is the third slowest in eight runnings. Twice winners of this race have broken 1:33 and twice too 1:34 with the fifth fastest time being the return to defend his crown runner today Veyron of 1:34.03 last year. No excuses the rest as Nashville picked them up as though younger legs matter at this time of a season. Veyron led and had every possible chance while Better Than Ever was probably done and dusted the moment rider Hayden Tinsley did not go for the front on a natural leader. Ocean Park was awful and only warmed up the final stages under the whip after getting a dream run so a brave face will need to be put on by all to dismiss this as not a concern. He may not be an autumn horse or if he needed a cobweb-clearer resuming then why did he not win on sheer class anyway? The great mare Sunline never lost a race in New Zealand and she was often not fully cranked up for local consumption with bigger overseas races in mind but she got the job done. She was superior and Ocean Park should be on his spring form in Australia last year. No conspiracy theory can be mooted or fed here as this is not in Sydney as a three-year-old when the pressure caused some absurd beliefs to be adopted and totally baseless comments to be made. Ocean Park was in his home country and meeting horses today he should batter senseless. The heat will be on (literally) at Meydan in Dubai for his next outing over 1800m as that is not a place to be second-guessing if your horse has really come up this campaign. The gang of Ocean’s Eleven may be needed to extricate the Dubai Duty Free cash as it should have been a very winnable selected event prior to the Otaki head scratcher. Final Touch after three G1 wins this season ran her worst race and finished a disappointing last albeit beaten just two and a half lengths. Has the mare reached her spell time or will that G1 for fillies and mares at Te Aroha early April prove too tempting to turn down? She is durable and thrives on racing but met four lads today not wanting to be upstaged and it showed. The WFA picture in New Zealand just got murkier after this and with the old warhorse Mufhasa unable to win in Australia so far this year it seems a changing of the guard is not near but actually happening now.

Previous Winners

Date Horse Jockey WT Trainer BP
VEYRON (NZ) 6G
THORN PARK (AUS) - OVER THE LIMIT (NZ) CENTRO (NZ)
M HILLS 59.0 LINDA LAING 4
KEEP THE PEACE (NZ) 4M
KEEPER (AUS) - PEACE OF MIND (NZ) WILD RAMPAGE (AUS)
JAMES MCDONALD 57.0 SHAUNE RITCHIE 8
CULMINATE (NZ) 5M
ELNADIM (USA) - SOLSTICE (NZ) MARCEAU (AUS)
S C SPRATT 57.0 STEPHEN MCKEE 3
ALAMOSA (NZ) 3C
O'REILLY (NZ) - LODORE MYSTIC (NZ) CENTAINE (AUS)
M J WALKER 55.0 PETER MCKAY 4
SIR SLICK (NZ) 5G
VOLKSRAAD (GB) - OUR MISS OPERA (NZ) PARIS OPERA (AUS)
B S HERD 59.0 G NICHOLSON 3
DARCI BRAHMA (NZ) 3C
DANEHILL (USA) - GRAND ECHEZEAUX (NZ) ZAFONIC (USA)
M J WALKER 52.5 MARK WALKER 2
ZVEZDA (NZ) 6G
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS (NZ) - CARNIVAL GIRL (NZ) ROUGHCAST (USA)
B S HERD 57.5 KAY LANE 9
KING'S CHAPEL (AUS) 3C
KING OF KINGS (IRE) - LOWER CHAPEL (GB) SHARPO (GB)
R MCLEOD 53.0 MARK WALKER 8
CRITIC (NZ) 4M
CENTAINE (AUS) - BENAZIR (NZ) VICE REGAL (NZ)
L A O'SULLIVAN 55.5 COLIN & RICHARD YUILL 1
NO MEAN CITY (NZ) 6G
STAR BOARD (NZ) - JIGTIME (NZ) AMAZING DANCER (USA)
D J BROWNE 57.5 J KIERNAN 4
STAR SATIRE (NZ) 3F
VOLKSRAAD (GB) - SATIRICAL (NZ) KAAPSTAD (NZ)
MARK DU PLESSIS 51.5 ROSS TAYLOR 13
SURFACE (NZ) 5G
CRESTED WAVE (USA) - KOSHA (NZ) COOBER PRINCE (IRE)
N G HARRIS 57.5 D N EALES 1