With glimpses of spring time over the past week and more daylight hours our horses are starting to lose their winter coats, so I think it timely to update everybody on the progress of the racing team going into the new season.
We have only raced three horses to date this season with Von Trapp winning early in August at Te Rapa only to lose the race in the enquiry room. It was a very brave effort on a soft track from the very promising 3yo son of Swiss Ace -Musically, after working hard early to cross and lead from a wide barrier. He was turned out for a spell in the weeks following, to take a break while the tracks are still wet which will see him coming to hand again for the good summer racing.
Braced was given his first start mid-August over 1200m at Te Aroha finishing a tidy 5th and went on to win second up at Waipa on Friday over 1580m in the hands of our son-in-law Andrew Calder. The 4yo son of Postponed is the first horse we have raced for Gerry Harvey’s NZ Thoroughbred Holdings. The horse seems to continue improving as he gets through this preparation. Last season we developed a lovely gelding named Confederacy for the same ownership who after winning a 2yo trial impressively was sold to Hong Kong for a very good price.
It is fortuitous to have Andrew back riding for our stable after seven seasons riding in Macau, and of course great to have Tasha and their twin boys Jax & Tye, who are now seventeen months old back as well. All four returned in April and Andrew is now getting to know the majority of our horses whilst riding track work every day. He is a worthy replacement with Alysha riding in Singapore on a six month contract, which if successful she will look to renew into their new racing season commencing on 1st January 2019. To date Alysha has ridden 10 winners and is working hard getting plenty of rides from numerous trainers, her winners have been for almost a different stable on every occasion. Being able to ride at 50kgs is a big advantage for her in Singapore.
Our stables only other starter this season was Gutsy Gussie who raced very poorly at Counties mid-August over 2100m in maiden company. This was his fourth start over the winter and with battling efforts at his prior three starts his owner opted to retire the grey gelding and concentrate on racing his 2yo half-brother by Super Easy who is due to re-join the stable in the next couple of months.
We have given the majority of our horses a good spell over early winter with most resuming in July. We have a number ready to trial at Avondale on Tuesday providing the track is reasonable. These include Azaboy who is almost 20kgs heavier this time in as a four year old.
Untamed Diamond will trial over 1000m and all going well could resume back at Avondale later in September. Swissta & Ventura will also trial and are close to resuming late September/early October depending on how quickly the tracks improve. We also plan to trial 3yo fillies Massachusetts & Tiger Silk. Both fillies have got through plenty of groundwork and are in need of a trip and good hit out at the trials prior to resuming.
As with last season Counties Racing Club are planning jump outs on 24th September following our Spinal Trust Raceday held on Sunday 23rd. I will use these 800m jump outs held on the course proper to bring on a further six horses. These jump outs are a cheap alternative to trialling and we have found that after these jump outs our horses are forward enough to race competitively following.
Hvar our promising Zed four year old will have a jump out along with Sepella, Mercy Hill, the unnamed 3yo fillies Rip Van Winkle –Mary Agnes, O’Reilly – November Rain and finally the 3yo Reliable Man – Pyrate Princess gelding. Another unnamed mare who could be forward enough to jump out is a recent addition to the stable, 4yo Red Giant – Musically, a half-sister to Von Trapp owned by breeder NZ Thoroughbred holdings who arrived having been pretrained to a forward level.
Cinematic is presently doing light work at the beach and is due to rejoin the stable in October.
The remainder of the 20 horses we have in training at present include Midnight Countess, Fluorobus and Alternative Fact who have resumed recently and will be ready to trial in October before resuming race day.
We have just a couple of 2yos in the stable this month, a gelding Proisir – Pristino, being a half-brother to last season’s top 3yo filly Djon Bleu. He is owned by the Robinson Family Trust and has shown good ability in recent gallops and a jump out while our other baby is a filly All Too Hard – Trista Rossa which we bought out of the Adelaide Magic Million sale in March for owner Joanne Sims. She is a lovely leggy filly.
Currently spelling is a robust 2yo by Sweet Orange out of Wealth Star who looks an early type. She was given a quiet jump out in mid-August before spelling and will resume again shortly. Also spelling is a lovely 2yo Rip Van Winkle – She’s Got Spunk gelding who was put aside mid-August to give him more time to mature.
Older fillies spelling at present include 3yos Tavistock - Maureen Dorothy and Red Giant - She's a Tomboy. Both are raced by their breeders and look to be autumn later types, having not had sales preparations as yearlings.
We have only raced three horses to date this season with Von Trapp winning early in August at Te Rapa only to lose the race in the enquiry room. It was a very brave effort on a soft track from the very promising 3yo son of Swiss Ace -Musically, after working hard early to cross and lead from a wide barrier. He was turned out for a spell in the weeks following, to take a break while the tracks are still wet which will see him coming to hand again for the good summer racing.
Braced was given his first start mid-August over 1200m at Te Aroha finishing a tidy 5th and went on to win second up at Waipa on Friday over 1580m in the hands of our son-in-law Andrew Calder. The 4yo son of Postponed is the first horse we have raced for Gerry Harvey’s NZ Thoroughbred Holdings. The horse seems to continue improving as he gets through this preparation. Last season we developed a lovely gelding named Confederacy for the same ownership who after winning a 2yo trial impressively was sold to Hong Kong for a very good price.
It is fortuitous to have Andrew back riding for our stable after seven seasons riding in Macau, and of course great to have Tasha and their twin boys Jax & Tye, who are now seventeen months old back as well. All four returned in April and Andrew is now getting to know the majority of our horses whilst riding track work every day. He is a worthy replacement with Alysha riding in Singapore on a six month contract, which if successful she will look to renew into their new racing season commencing on 1st January 2019. To date Alysha has ridden 10 winners and is working hard getting plenty of rides from numerous trainers, her winners have been for almost a different stable on every occasion. Being able to ride at 50kgs is a big advantage for her in Singapore.
Our stables only other starter this season was Gutsy Gussie who raced very poorly at Counties mid-August over 2100m in maiden company. This was his fourth start over the winter and with battling efforts at his prior three starts his owner opted to retire the grey gelding and concentrate on racing his 2yo half-brother by Super Easy who is due to re-join the stable in the next couple of months.
We have given the majority of our horses a good spell over early winter with most resuming in July. We have a number ready to trial at Avondale on Tuesday providing the track is reasonable. These include Azaboy who is almost 20kgs heavier this time in as a four year old.
Untamed Diamond will trial over 1000m and all going well could resume back at Avondale later in September. Swissta & Ventura will also trial and are close to resuming late September/early October depending on how quickly the tracks improve. We also plan to trial 3yo fillies Massachusetts & Tiger Silk. Both fillies have got through plenty of groundwork and are in need of a trip and good hit out at the trials prior to resuming.
As with last season Counties Racing Club are planning jump outs on 24th September following our Spinal Trust Raceday held on Sunday 23rd. I will use these 800m jump outs held on the course proper to bring on a further six horses. These jump outs are a cheap alternative to trialling and we have found that after these jump outs our horses are forward enough to race competitively following.
Hvar our promising Zed four year old will have a jump out along with Sepella, Mercy Hill, the unnamed 3yo fillies Rip Van Winkle –Mary Agnes, O’Reilly – November Rain and finally the 3yo Reliable Man – Pyrate Princess gelding. Another unnamed mare who could be forward enough to jump out is a recent addition to the stable, 4yo Red Giant – Musically, a half-sister to Von Trapp owned by breeder NZ Thoroughbred holdings who arrived having been pretrained to a forward level.
Cinematic is presently doing light work at the beach and is due to rejoin the stable in October.
The remainder of the 20 horses we have in training at present include Midnight Countess, Fluorobus and Alternative Fact who have resumed recently and will be ready to trial in October before resuming race day.
We have just a couple of 2yos in the stable this month, a gelding Proisir – Pristino, being a half-brother to last season’s top 3yo filly Djon Bleu. He is owned by the Robinson Family Trust and has shown good ability in recent gallops and a jump out while our other baby is a filly All Too Hard – Trista Rossa which we bought out of the Adelaide Magic Million sale in March for owner Joanne Sims. She is a lovely leggy filly.
Currently spelling is a robust 2yo by Sweet Orange out of Wealth Star who looks an early type. She was given a quiet jump out in mid-August before spelling and will resume again shortly. Also spelling is a lovely 2yo Rip Van Winkle – She’s Got Spunk gelding who was put aside mid-August to give him more time to mature.
Older fillies spelling at present include 3yos Tavistock - Maureen Dorothy and Red Giant - She's a Tomboy. Both are raced by their breeders and look to be autumn later types, having not had sales preparations as yearlings.
