Every winner today at Riccarton on the ten-race card paid single figures except in this Listed 2500m Open Handicap event where a $51 blowout in Dee And Gee defied the pattern and track bias too. No leader won all day (one winner moved up from third and led narrowly turning for home) but this being a two-turn race that dilutes track bias every time. The track at Riccarton started of a Heavy10 then got upgraded to be a Soft8 from R3 onwards and the times were a second to two seconds off standard most of the day. The winners in Race order and where they turned for home were seventh (widest and three lengths off lead), third outer (small field), seventh (widest and three lengths of lead), seventh (widest and four lengths of lead), fifth (small field widest and two and a half lengths of lead), fifth (up middle path and length of the lead), fifth (three off inside and two lengths of lead), led wide turning, led (2500m race) and tenth (widest and four lengths of lead). Dee And Gee was ninth wide a lap out and then strode up and took the front with about 1700m to go and then was clear thereafter by two or three lengths. The 5yo mare was a big form reversal and her last win came this meeting a year ago, also over 2500m, but in Benchmark 85 (three or four grades inferior). Today was her fourth win in twenty–two starts and next week she will drop half a kilo in the G3 NZ Cup (3200m) where the same tactics should be applied as why change a proven formula. This race had poor depth as most of the field in fact were nowhere near Open Class let alone blacktype capable plus the footing was iffy and the track bias palpable. Felaar, a two-win galloper, ran on strongly for second after settling ninth then improving wide across the top and surged into second at the 200m but the winning leader was never stopping. This 5yo will enjoy better footing next week here and despite his average record he can stay and is a G3 NZ Cup win chance to show how the stamina depth has fallen so dramatically the last decade at least. Mental Telepathy a four-win 5yo gelding at his eleventh outing ran home strongly for third from eleventh on settling and he should eat up the 3200m here next week and he drops 1.5kg. Swing Note ran an honest fourth but had every chance while Bee Tee Junior was rugged under topweight of 60kg after sitting handy the outer as he never gave it away the long run home. He drops to 58kg here next week in the G3 NZ Cup. Duellicious a three-win 4yo mare at her eleventh start today ran and honest sixth while Duplicity was seen battling on for seventh okay. Zentessa, also a three-win 4yo mare at her eleventh outing got well back and was wide across the top improving, with her second wind being found the closing stages as she kept coming. Richard Of Yorke was poor again and maybe the 3200m next week here will help otherwise he could be jumping next year for his supper. The rest either could not really stay or were outclassed or a combination of both. This was a poor field overall and the stayer depth in New Zealand has collapsed with hardly anymore bred to mature late and keep going. The G3 NZ Cup field next week will be very poor and no runner will be anywhere near 100 ratings points and in fact the highest rated will be barely over 90 points in the current NZ system adopted. A late developing male stayer is almost impossible to find today in New Zealand and is more likely to have already been tried over the jumps to pay its way so that therefore adds in a health and injury risk.
Previous Winners
Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ASPEN LASS
(NZ)
5M ALAMOSA (NZ) - TIEF (NZ) VIKING RULER (AUS) |
ALYSHA COLLETT | 53.0 | TERRI RAE | 7 |
|
NYMPH MONTE
(NZ)
5G TAVISTOCK (NZ) - GROVE NYMPH (NZ) GROSVENOR (NZ) |
DANIELLE JOHNSON | 56.0 | GRANT NICHOLSON | 12 |
|
SOUTHERN SAV
(NZ)
6G SAVABEEL (AUS) - RIDE THE WAVES (AUS) THUNDER GULCH (USA) |
D G BRADLEY | 53.0 | MICHAEL & MATTHEW PITMAN | 12 |
|
SHE'S INSATIABLE
(NZ)
6M USTINOV (AUS) - CHECKERED PAST (AUS) PENTIRE (GB) |
J L MORRIS | 53.5 | TERRILL CHARLES | 9 |
|
ESPRIT D'OR
(NZ)
8G AL JADEED (USA) - QUEEN OF GOLD (NZ) STATE OF KINGS (USA) |
A L FRYE | 53.0 | TOMMY BECKETT | 4 |
|
KULLU
(AUS)
6G ELVSTROEM (AUS) - WAY COOL (AUS) ROYAL ACADEMY (USA) |
D M WALSH | 54.0 | MANDY & MATT BROWN | 1 |
|
ZABENE
(NZ)
8G ZABEEL (NZ) - EMERALD DREAM (AUS) DANEHILL (USA) |
M CAMERON | 54.5 | JASON BRIDGMAN | 13 |
|
BLOOD BROTHA
(NZ)
5G DANZIGHILL (AUS) - LAURA DEE (NZ) PERSONAL ESCORT (USA) |
L J ALLPRESS | 52.0 | RAYMOND CONNORS | 11 |
|
MY SCOTSGREY
(NZ)
4G GOLAN (IRE) - MY CHAMELEON (NZ) GROSVENOR (NZ) |
L G INNES | 53.0 | SHAUNE RITCHIE | 3 |
|
STAND TALL
(NZ)
7G ZABEEL (NZ) - GRAND ARCHWAY (AUS) ARCHWAY (IRE) |
P A TAYLOR | 53.0 | J R WHEELER | 8 |
|
CAPECOVER
(NZ)
5G CAPE CROSS (IRE) - SET UP (NZ) ZABEEL (NZ) |
M J WALKER | 55.5 | A FIELDES | 5 |
|
PENTATHON
(NZ)
5G PENTIRE (GB) - STAR ROYAL (NZ) GROSVENOR (NZ) |
N G HARRIS | 57.0 | J R WHEELER | 2 |
|
TREBLA
(NZ)
5G YAMANIN VITAL (NZ) - OTAKI PRINCESS (NZ) NOBLE BIJOU (USA) |
L G INNES | 53.0 | D ROBERTS | 3 |
|
HOOTANDANCE
(NZ)
7M VICTORY DANCE (IRE) - HOOT (NZ) NORMAN PENTAQUAD (USA) |
A C PEARD | 55.0 | JOHN & MEGAN ATKINSON | 1 |
|
TORLESSE
(NZ)
6G VOLKSRAAD (GB) - SEAMIST (NZ) BEAUFORT SEA (USA) |
T R MOSELEY | 58.0 | MANDY BROWN | 1 |
|
REIGN SUPREME
(AUS)
7G HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS (NZ) - KINDLED (NZ) ALL A'LIGHT II (GB) |
L A O'SULLIVAN | 57.0 | P L MCKENZIE | 2 |
|
CLASSIC BABE
(NZ)
5M CLASSIC FAME (USA) - ALA NAMI (NZ) CRESTED WAVE (USA) |
L A O'SULLIVAN | 55.0 | COLIN & RICHARD YUILL | 14 |
|
SOLDIER BLUE
(NZ)
6G SIR SIAN (NZ) - VA BENE (NZ) SOVEREIGN RULER (NZ) |
G J GRYLLS | 53.0 | R DOWLING | 7 |