Tristar bounces back to winning form at Te Rapa

Promising four-year-old Tristar (NZ) (Exceedance) ended a frustrating run of minor placings when she thrust her nose out at just the right time to win the Thanks Bernard Kneebone – 25 Years On The Clock (1200m) at Te Rapa in a thrilling three-way finish.

Allowed to settle last by rider George Rooke off a hot pace set up by Cleat (NZ) (Rios), Tristar made a swooping run to join leader Jethro Tull (NZ) (Wrote) at the 200m. Just as the win seemed assured, stablemate Little Bit Of Love (NZ) (Time Test) stormed at the pair to send the final result to the photo finish where Tristar held on by a nose from Litle Bit Of Love and Jethro Tull a nose away in third.

Andrew Scott, who trains in partnership with Lance O’Sullivan, admitted there was some relief when the judge called Tristar the winner after he suspected she may have been beaten.

“It was a great result and I was pretty relieved at the winning post,” he said.

“The important thing was the finish went our way, and we also had the bonus of the quinella.

“She really deserved that as she has been building to a win without a lot of luck in some of her runs this time in.

“She likes the track with some cut in it and we would love to get her some black type, so she will have a go at the Listed race for the fillies and mares at Tauranga in a fortnight.

“She ran in that race as a three-year-old and put in a super effort to finish fourth so it would be great if she could improve on that.”

Scott was also pleased with both runner-up Little Bit Of Love and stablemate Miss Bo Peep (NZ) (Astern), who finished close up in fifth.

“Little Bit Of Love is also going super and he loves the wetter tracks, so we think he can have a very good winter,” he said.

“Miss Bo Peep was also very good and just tired a little in the final stages, so she has plenty of improvement in her.

“She will also go to the race at Tauranga with Tristar.”

That race is the Listed Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic (1400m), a weight-for-age feature for fillies and mares at Tauranga on 27 June.

Bred by the Little Avondale Trust, Tristar is out of the Pierro mare World Away, making her a half-sister to stakes winner Karman Line. Little Avondale offered Tristar in Book 1 at Karaka 2023, where she was bought by Wexford Stables for $220,000. Her 16-start career has now produced five wins and $137,210 in stakes.