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Riccarton Park Results (Race 5)

Saturday, 6th May 2017

5
14:14
(local)

Champagne Stakes (LR)

Age: 2yo Type: OPEN
NZD $50,000
1200m TURF HEAVY
5
14:14
(local)
NZD $50,000
1200m HEAVY

Champagne Stakes (LR)

Age: 2yo Type: OPEN

This Listed 1200m juvenile event saw the fleet of foot filly Prom Queen maintain her unbeaten record on the Riccarton track. Prom Queen made it five-from-five on the track with an all the way win and gained her second Listed success. She has tasted defeat once and that came at Wingatui when third in an 800m scamper fresh up this campaign. The filly won by over five lengths today and clocked 1:12.87, which is significant indeed as the two other 1200m races on the day never broke 1:13 for the older horses in Benchmark 85 and 65 grade respectively. In fact Prom Queen ran over five lengths superior time to the other two sprints for older horses. Cousteau sat second the outer but could not go with the winner at the 300m and was left floundering in a gap at the finish. Kiwi Ida, the filly that won that 800m event at Wingatui when Prom Queen could only finish third, fought on distantly in this. She was away only fairly but got through into third at the 400m and was beaten over six and a half lengths. The maiden Finbarr ran on well late for fourth after being last away and is a winner in waiting. Withorn on debut was not too bad fort fifth after an awkward start and settling back on the inside but it must be added he was beaten over fifteen lengths. The rest were defeated from sixteen lengths to over fifty-two lengths and some very tired and outclassed youngsters walked across the line in this. Prom Queen has won from 800m to 1200m and likes rain-affected footing. She has not raced in the North Island, where she is trained, so until she meets more depth there has to be an asterisk as she is clearly superior in the South Island and in particular at Riccarton. Whether she can run the mile next season will be intriguing as the G1 1000 Guineas at Riccarton has to be a target as she takes bad luck out of any equation with her racing pattern. Her trainers of Team Rae and Krystal Williams do not feel she has got the respect she deserves to this point but that can totally silenced or amplified deluxe in the Spring next season right here at Riccarton.

Previous Winners

Date Horse Jockey WT Trainer BP
ASHBURY SYD (NZ) 2G
TUSCANY FLYER (AUS) - BURKELEA STAR (NZ) FAMOUS STAR (GB)
T R MOSELEY 56.0 TONY & LYN PRENDERGAST 6
UDIDITAGAIN (NZ) 2F
D'CASH (AUS) - TIO IRIS (NZ) PARIS HOUSE (GB)
T R MOSELEY 54.0 K H HUGHES 7