Silver Eclipse remained unbeaten this season when winning this Listed feature at 1000m and was afforded the bionic time of 56.86 on a dead Riccarton track. Now the two tracks in New Zealand whose times can never ever be believed down their chutes are Trentham and here as the 800m, 1000m and 1200m times are fairytale stuff. The track record is 54.20 by Ticklish in 2006 under 57kg and this mare while very fast it simply defies belief that time. She ran third in a G1 Lightning at Moonee Valley in 2007 beaten two and a half lengths under 56kg behind Miss Andretti in 57.93 so carried 1kg less and ran about twenty-three lengths slower. Silver Eclipse is a win or nowhere type as her record of five wins and no placings in nine starts indicates. It was today significantly her fourth crack at blacktype with a fifth (Listed), a sixth (Listed) and a seventh (G3) her previous efforts. Stronger and faster now but clearly this race was cherry picked as a soft blacktype chance. She carried the minimum of 53kg and was too good for her rivals of which some had too much weight and or age. Scapolo however was looking at defending his G2 midweek mile win from last year and steamed home too late for fourth from a clear last. He was the eyecatcher from the race after bounding in the air at the start as then he never ever looked a chance from the jump as favourite under 58.5kg. King Montrose under 59kg fought on gamely for second and the co-leader Bowling Boy under 53.5kg held third. Rewa was not too bad fresh up for a new stable and is an improver if able to be kept sound. The start of the race was messy with the likes of natural leader Captain Kirk ending up fifth and wide after an average jump. The winner has scope and Scapolo will be heavily backed again in the G2 Couplands Bakeries Mile midweek, especially after the way he was looked after today. He led and bolted in when winning it last year. Bettors are rightly left wondering if they get any protection anymore and the uproar will be heard like a sonic boom if Scapolo salutes on Wednesday. Tardy gates and wheelies in the stalls plus main targets yet to be attacked all make the thoroughbred wagering minefield in New Zealand at times very dangerous for your dollars and leaving what bettors are left in utter disbelief.
Previous Winners
Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
IRISH FLING
(NZ)
5M DARCI BRAHMA (NZ) - IRISH BELLE (NZ) O'REILLY (NZ) |
MARK DU PLESSIS | 53.0 | GUY LOWRY & GRANT CULLEN | 4 |
|
PRINCESS KATIE
(AUS)
5M BIANCONI (USA) - GO GETTER (AUS) SNIPPETS (AUS) |
L J ALLPRESS | 53.0 | KEVIN GRAY | 7 |
|
SO ELUSIVE
(NZ)
5M ELUSIVE CITY (USA) - J'LO (NZ) UNBRIDLED'S SONG (USA) |
L J ALLPRESS | 53.0 | MICHAEL PITMAN | 2 |
|
VINCENT MANGANO
(NZ)
5G NO EXCUSE NEEDED (GB) - RATIONABLE (NZ) HOUSEBUSTER (USA) |
S C SPRATT | 53.5 | PETER MCKAY | 6 |
|
COUP ALIGN
(NZ)
4G ALIGN (AUS) - DIAMOND SNIP (AUS) SNIPPETS (AUS) |
L J ALLPRESS | 54.0 | MICHAEL PITMAN | 8 |
|
OUR UMAGA
(NZ)
8G CENTAINE (AUS) - BOBBY HARRIS (NZ) BLETCHENCORE (AUS) |
KELLY MC CULLOCH | 58.0 | BILL THURLOW | 2 |
|
CLIFTON PRINCE
(NZ)
6G VOLKSRAAD (GB) - TRICKERY (NZ) STRAUSSBROOK (AUS) |
L CROPP | 58.0 | PETER MCKAY | 4 |
|
GREEN MACHINE
(NZ)
4G GREEN PERFUME (USA) - KANSAS CITY (NZ) WESTERN SYMPHONY (USA) |
M T COLEMAN | 57.0 | M MORONEY & A SCOTT | 10 |
|
DOMINATRIX
(AUS)
4M MARAUDING (NZ) - SEVENTEEN SINS (USA) RISEN STAR (USA) |
M J WALKER | 52.0 | P O'SULLIVAN | 6 |
|
MILLION STARS
(NZ)
7G FAMOUS STAR (GB) - VAREIN (NZ) SOCCER BOY (JPN) |
T R MOSELEY | 52.0 | G GOBLE | 7 |