Yulong dominates NZ Oaks

Yulong Investments has made a splash in New Zealand this season, buying up the nation’s leading three-year-old filly talent, and they were once again rewarded at Ellerslie on Saturday when sealing the quinella in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m).

The burgeoning thoroughbred giant’s silks have been prominent at Ellerslie this season through the deeds of their undefeated Group One winner and $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) favourite Well Written, and they were once again to the fore at the Auckland track on Saturday when their exciting staying prospect Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park) beat home another recent purchase in Autumn Glory in the Oaks.

The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained filly was ridden off the speed, three from the back, for much of the journey, and looked in a lot of strife when turning for home, but jockey Joe Doyle kept a cool head and guided his charge out wide where she was able to show her class when powering over the top of her rivals to win by 2-1/4 lengths over Autumn Glory.

“She is proper horse, that is the best way to describe her after watching that performance,” O’Sullivan said.

“It was a no panic ride by Joe, I think I was panicking a bit more watching from the grandstand. When Joe came from the outside I thought she has got a long way to make up but she did it and did it with some sort of ease. 

“She is just going to go from strength to strength, she is certainly going to be winning more big races in the future. She wouldn’t look out of place in Australia. We have always believed in the filly from day dot and that performance today was pretty special.”

While her future may lie across the Tasman, the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) on Champions Day at Ellerslie in a fortnight looms as an enticing target, but O’Sullivan said they will wait for the dust to settle before making any concrete plans.

“She will decide for us,” he said. “We will sit down with connections during the week and have a chat, but we will be doing what we think is best for her.”

Doyle was euphoric after the victory, labelling Ohope Wins as the best three-year-old he has sat on.

“When you get to ride a horse that good, nothing compares,” he said. “She has been trained to the minute. 

“We were a long way back, but when you are riding one that good they can just overcome all those things – the draw is never an excuse, the ground is never an excuse. She was just too good.

“She still feels like she has got so much left, I couldn’t even pull her up. She is absolutely exceptional, I have not ridden a three-year-old like her.”

A decision on the New Zealand Derby is yet to be made, by Doyle believes pressing on to challenge the boys in the Champions Day Classic is a no-brainer.

“When are you going to get a better opportunity?” he said.

Already a $3 favourite for the Derby pre-race, Ohope Wins has now shortened into a $1.60 favourite on the TAB’s New Zealand Derby futures market following her Oaks performance, while Yulong’s Well Written heads the NZB Kiwi market at $1.20.

Jaarffi gets deserved Group One victory

Acknowledged as one of the unluckiest horses going around in New Zealand, Jaarffi (NZ) (Iffraaj) finally got the good fortune she deserved and her first Group One victory when she stormed home to take out the Sport Nation Otaki Maori WFA Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie.

The six-year-old daughter of Iffraaj, who carries the colours of Cambridge Stud principals Sir Brendan Lindsay and Lady Jo Lindsay, has been amongst the top echelon of gallopers in New Zealand for the past two years but had been denied a victory at the elite level on several occasions due to poor barrier draws, interference at crucial times and unsuitable track conditions amongst a host of contributing factors.

Whilst another wide barrier (nine of 11) on Saturday didn’t look promising once again, it played in favour of the Lance Noble-prepared mare as it allowed rider Warren Kennedy to keep her out of trouble in midfield where she sat three wide but in a totally relaxed manner.

Kennedy began to move her forward with 800m to run and she was within striking distance of the leaders rounding the home bend as race favourite Pier made his bid for glory, hotly pursued by Sterling Express.

Just as Pier looked to have the race within his grasp, Jaarffi put in several massive bounds to collar him in the shadows of the post to take the win from the favourite, who held out the late closing run of Provence who snatched third off Sterling Express.

Noble was especially pleased for everyone connected with the mare who had to exhibit untold patience with her.

“Obviously I am absolutely thrilled as she did deserve this,” Noble said.

“She is not an easy mare to train and to achieve this after all the work the staff have put in over the last few years, along with Warren, and for Sir Brendan and Lady Jo, it is just brilliant.

“She got trapped three wide but she has started to relax a lot better out there and probably best she was not stuck on the fence getting into trouble.

“We all do the work for these days and you don’t get many opportunities at them, so to get this for the whole team is just brilliant.

“She has always been a big, gangly and aggressive horse on the training track, so we don’t do a lot of galloping with her, and while she is a six-year-old she is still learning.

“The plan is to go onto the Bonecrusher Stakes (Gr.1, 2000m) in a fortnight (7 March) and all being well we will.”

Kennedy was also quick to pay tribute to the fighting qualities of the mare.

“She has been deserving (of a Group One victory) for a while now and we thought she could pick one up in this preparation,” he said.

“She has just been so unlucky and she did it tough the whole way today.

“She has got such a huge action and so much heart as she gave it her all today and fought like a tiger.

“I wasn’t too concerned when we were wide as she is such a huge striding filly it allowed her to extend when I wanted to.

“Pier gave me a good tussle but she deserved this.”

Bred and raced by Cambridge Stud, Jaarffi has now won five of her 24 starts and over $953,000 in prizemoney.

That’s Gold proves staying qualities in Avondale Guineas

A tilt at the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) is now on the cards for exciting three-year-old That’s Gold (Lucky Vega) following his impressive victory in the Gr.2 Eagle Technology Avondale Guineas (2100m) at Ellerslie.

The Chris Wood-trained gelding collected a big winning cheque when victorious in the $350,000 Karapiro Classic (1500m) at Te Rapa earlier this month, but despite that performance he was allowed to drift to a $12.70 shot for Saturday’s Guineas.

Eager to get a line on the staying qualities of her charge, jockey Samantha Collett was positive out of the gates, punching That’s Gold forward from his wide alley to sit outside leader Taylor Square.

The pair injected more pace into the race from the 600m mark, opening up on the remainder of the pack. That’s Gold was still full of running at the turn and rocketed away to score by 3-3/4 lengths over Road To Paris, putting any doubts about his staying qualities to bed.

“We were obviously looking to see if he is going to run a Derby trip,” Collett said. “I was happy to let the race unfold. I put a little bit of pressure on him to get to the outside of the leader, but at least I know when the Derby comes around if I am in the same position I have got the horse that I can give a little squeeze to and he is going to relax, which is what he did today.

“It was a good effort because the leader (Taylor Square) probably wouldn’t have taken me much further than it did. From knowing him in the past, he is not really inclined to get away from them. He has had a few more runs under his belt now, and he has got a bit more ringcraft, and when I pushed the button he responded really well.”

It was another emotional win for Wood, who was rapt to get the victory for his loyal group of owners.

“I am thrilled to bits,” he said. “I have got good clients. I put all my syndicates together myself and it took a while to piece this one together when I bought him, but we finally got it done and the results are shown today. He was very strong to the line.

“My major worry was a lack of tempo, but it panned out alright. When he kicked at the turn, I was looking at the ones behind him and they weren’t going to get close to him. He can run some sensational sectionals.”

Bred by Yulong Investments, Wood purchased That’s Gold out of their 2024 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft, alongside bloodstock agents Paul Moroney and Catheryne Bruggeman, for A$57,500.

That’s Gold had Wood excited as a juvenile and Yulong made a bid to purchase him back, but Wood is pleased he rebuffed their advances, with the Cambridge horseman now have a leading chance in next month’s New Zealand Derby.  

“He is a delight to have in the stable,” Wood said. “Yulong tried to buy him back at one stage, but I didn’t tell the owners too much about that. I wanted to keep him as I knew what we had under the bonnet.”

Following the victory, That’s Gold shortened into a $4.20 equal third favourite for the New Zealand Derby, alongside Road To Paris, with the market headed by Ohope Wins ($1.60) and Autumn Glory after the Yulong Investments pair quinellaed the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m).

Belle Cheval on target for $4 million NZB Kiwi

Belle Cheval (NZ) (Savabeel) will head into the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) in winning form after taking out the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. Following her convincing win in last month’s Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) on Karaka Millions night, she

NZ Racing NewsLOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Final Return defies Aussie challenge in Avondale Cup

What a difference three weeks has made in the life of rugged stayer Final Return (NZ) (Reliable Man). The durable son of the ill-fated Westbury Stud stallion Reliable Man had held the start up for over five minutes at his last run at Ellerslie due to a pre-race issue with

NZ Racing NewsLOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Breakthrough Australian victory for Lord Penman

Close up in strong company in the spring, Go Racing’s Lord Penman (NZ) (Contributer) broke through and claimed his first Australian victory in the A$160,000 Racing and Sports Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday. The New Zealand-bred Contributer gelding ran second on his Sydney debut in August,

NZ Racing NewsNZ Racing Desk