Yulong add another Guineas heroine to Kiwi portfolio

Impressive Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) winner Autumn Glory (NZ) (Ocean Park) has had an ownership change ahead of her tilt at the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday, with the daughter of Ocean Park to sport the colours of Yulong Investments.

The late bloomer has been patiently handled by Roger James and Robert Wellwood and the filly dominated her male rivals at Te Rapa last week to advance her record to two wins from three starts, having broken maiden ranks at Ruakaka in January.

Bred and raced by the Smithies family under their Monovale Holdings banner, Autumn Glory’s sale this week enhances the Yulong footprint in New Zealand.

The well-known green and white silks are now worn by three of New Zealand’s best fillies, with Oaks favourite Ohope Wins and unbeaten Guineas winner Well Written also in the camp.

“It's a privilege to have international owners of their magnitude in the stable, and it's great to see them becoming involved in New Zealand in a bigger way,” Roger James said.

“I think it's just a reflection on what we can offer them in New Zealand in the way of stakes and high-class horses.

“Our aim is the New Zealand Oaks and what happens after that will be discussed after the race, but it is a Group One and that is what we are focused on.

“We’re really happy with the way she's bounced through the Waikato Guineas. She's feeding well and looks great in the coat.

“She won a maiden and then we threw her straight into black-type racing, because we thought she was well above average, but unfortunately, we struck a bottomless track at Taranaki at her second start.

“To the filly's credit, she came through that trip and hard run well, and we had the confidence to line her up again in the Waikato Guineas. We went into that race with confidence and her work had gone to a different level, and she raced and won accordingly.”

Monovale’s Joe Smithies said the sale of Autumn Glory ensures cashflow for their breeding operation. 

“Yulong has purchased her outright, and she will stay with Roger and Robert for the Oaks, who have done a terrific job,” Joe Smithies said.

“We've got to stick to our core business model, which is breeding horses for the yearling sales.

“Racing for us is probably a by-product of what we do, but having said that, we really do enjoy racing horses, particularly nice fillies like Autumn Glory.”

Smithies said the mating of Autumn Glory’s mother Venus's Dream with Ocean Park had worked well, with successful siblings to the filly including Loveplanet and Existential Bob.

“We were consistently getting a good type and selling well at the sales,” Smithies said. “This particular filly, Autumn Glory, we were just a touch behind the eight ball for where we thought she needed to be for the yearling sales. So we elected to hold on to her and just grow her out.

“We always really liked her but felt that the sale probably just came a touch too soon for her.”

In recent years Monovale have sold the likes of subsequent stakes winners Scarlet Oak and Goldman from their small racing team, while the Smithies still have stakes-winning three-year-old filly Acer, who will line up as an outsider in the Oaks.

“It's a huge buzz to have bred two fillies that will run in the Oaks that are both already stakes winners,” Smithies said.

“Ultimately, it’s why we do it and these results are not easy to get, so you certainly have to enjoy them. But we've been exceptionally lucky.

“It was a great yearling sale for us at Karaka this year and to have Acer win the Oaks Prelude (Listed, 1800m) at Taranaki on Karaka Millions night and cement her place in the Oaks field was immensely rewarding.” – NZ Racing Desk

Timaru gelding proves too smooth in Invercargill Gold Cup

A $50,000 carrot is dangling in front of the connections of Timaru gelding Smooth Operator (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) following his victory in the Olphert Contracting Ltd Invercargill Gold Cup (2600m) at Ascot Park on Saturday.

It was the second leg of the Southern Cups Bonus Series, where a $50,000 winner-takes-all bonus is up for grabs, and Smooth Operator now sits atop the standings, alongside Gore Cup (2200m) winner In Vegas, on five points.

The stakes performer jumped a $2.90 favourite from the ace barrier in Saturday’s contest and was given a rail-hugging ride by jockey Tina Comignaghi for the majority of the journey.

He looked blocked in when searching for a run from the 600m, but Comignaghi eventually found a gap at the top of the straight and Smooth Operator quickly took it, bounding up alongside leader Caffeinated before dashing away to a 6-1/4 length victory, much to the delight of his large group of supporters.

Smooth Operator ran third in the race last year and trainer Stephanie Faulkner was delighted to go two better in this year’s edition.

“I was a little bit worried, there wasn’t a lot of pace on,” Faulkner said. “He was pulling a bit but Tina was patient as ever, gave him a beautiful trip and he was dragged into it at the right time and showed them what he can do.”

With the victory, Smooth Operator brought his career tally to seven wins and six placings from 42 starts, with more than $232,000 in earnings.

Bred by Go Bloodstock Australia Pty Ltd, Smooth Operator was initially purchased out of KB Bloodstock’s 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale draft by Shaune Ritchie for $32,000, and he had four starts for the Cambridge trainer before heading south to Stephanie Faulkner, who has enjoyed a fruitful last three years with the gelding, and she is hoping to add to it in the coming months.

The Southern Cups Series marches on to Wingatui next week with the Listed Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m), which Smooth Operator finished runner-up in last year, before it heads to Gore a fortnight later for the Wyndham Cup (2000m), and culminates at Riverton on April 4, where double points are up for grabs in the series final – the Riverton Cup (2147m).

“We will press onto the final at Riverton,” Faulkner said. “It’s really exciting.”

Enrico cascades home to snare Wairere Falls

Central Districts gelding Enrico (NZ) (El Roca) was rewarded for his consistency when taking home a big winner’s cheque following his victory in Saturday’s $350,000 Comag Wairere Falls (1500m) at Matamata. The Levin galloper trekked north to tackle the lucrative feature following a rich run of form

NZ Racing NewsJoshua Smith

Vale Martin Dennis

One of New Zealand racing’s most famous families has lost another member, with the recent passing of Martin Dennis, aged 82. Martin was the youngest member of the Dennis Brothers quartet, with the family facing a particularly tough last six months, with the passing of brother Tony in September.

NZ Racing NewsJoshua Smith