Inflamed takes out home feature

Local trainers Shane and Brian Anderton are looking north to Christchurch with their mare Inflamed (NZ) (Ghibellines) after she proved too tough for her rivals in the Mosgiel Tavern Beaumont Publican’s Cup (1500m) at Wingatui on Sunday.

The intention was to take a sit with the daughter of Ghibellines, however, she jumped away well and was in the thick end of the action early on. Apprentice jockey Jack Taplin had no option but to press forward for the lead with the mare, and the pair quickly took control of the race.

Taplin rated Inflamed to perfection up front and she proved to have a better kick than her rivals in the concluding stages to hold onto her advantage to win by a head over the fast finishing The Hangover.

While the pre-race tactics didn’t go to plan, the Andertons were rapt to get the victory nonetheless.

“We were hoping to get a bit of cover in behind them,” Shane Anderton said. “As I said to the young fella (Taplin), she can jump and put a length on them pretty quickly.

“He rated her well, he sat as long as he could and she got the job done.”

Having proven herself over 1500m, a further step up to a mile could be on the cards in the Gr.3 Donaldson Brown South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton next Saturday, however, Anderton said it could prove to be too quick of a back-up for his mare.

“We will have to get home now and work out what we do,” he said. "We were half pie thinking about going to Riccarton next week but that might be a bit too soon.”

While the Breeders’ Stakes may come up too soon, Anderton is keen to head to Riccarton with Inflamed in the coming months for other targets.

“There is some nice racing coming up there in the autumn, so there is bound to be something there for her,” he said.

A homebred mare, Inflamed is out of stakes-winning Gallant Guru mare Ortem Fire, a half-sister to Group Three winner Inferno, the dam of Group One winner Smokin’ Romans.

Inflamed has proven to be a solid performer on the track, having now won seven of her 34 starts, including the Listed Stewards Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton last November, and she has earned just shy of $270,000 in prizemoney. - Joshua Smith

Platinum Pantheon on top at Tauranga

Awapuni visitor Platinum Pantheon (Hanseatic) enhanced his reputation as a horse going places when he ran down pacemaker Lucy In The Sky to win the J Swap Contractors 3YO (1200m) at Tauranga on Saturday.

The Lisa Latta-trained gelding carried the clear topweight of 58.5kgs with Opie Bosson in the saddle but made light of the impost as he cruised along three back against the fence for most of the 1200m journey before improving to be on the heels of the pacemakers Lucy In The Sky and Chatelle Rose rounding the home turn.

Bosson angled the son of Hanseatic into a tight gap between the pair at the 200m and he showed plenty of tenacity to draw clear and win by more than a length at the line, in the process registering his fourth career victory at just his tenth start.

Latta, who was with a big team at Wanganui, was suitably impressed with the effort and praised the ride of Bosson.

“I’m really rapt as that was his first time going right-handed, which can be a challenge, but I thought it was a great ride from Opie,” Latta said.

“He got him into a beautiful spot and didn’t go around a horse until he had too.

“I was a little worried that the track could be too wet but by the time of the race it had dried out a fair bit and he has handled that sort of going at the trials.”

With the prospect of wet tracks setting in over the next few weeks, Latta is keen to test her charge abroad with a potential trip to Queensland for the winter carnival there on offer.

“He really has it all in front of him as he is not the finished product and is developing really nicely,” she said.

“We are definitely looking at taking him to Brisbane later on as there are any number of nice three-year-old races over there for him.

“I also think he can get a little further than 1200m as I asked Opie about that and he said he would get 1400m no problems as he relaxes so well during his races.”

An Australian-bred son of Hanseatic, Platinum Pantheon was a A$60,000 purchase out of breeder Rosemont Stud’s draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

He is raced by long-term Latta stable clients Kevin Dixon and Neville McAlister and has won a tick over $95,000 in prizemoney for them, with the promise of more to come. - Kevin Robertson

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It may have taken a little longer than trainers Kevin and Stephen Gray had hoped, but well-related gelding So We Go (NZ) (Embellish) finally broke through for his maiden victory at Wanganui on Saturday. A son of Cambridge Stud resident stallion Embellish, So We Go is a full brother to

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Baker sweating on good barrier draws for Slipper pair

In an open Golden Slipper, trainer Bjorn Baker knows Tuesday’s barrier draw will be key to the chances of his two hopefuls. Bjorn Baker’s two Golden Slipper contenders will have different build ups to the $5 million feature, with Paradoxium (Extreme Choice) set to be given a serious hit-out

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