Western Empire too tough in home straight stoush
Classy galloper Western Empire (NZ) (Iffraaj) had to call on all his fighting qualities to pick up his latest stakes victory as he thrust his head in front in the very last stride to claim the Gr.3 PKF Perth – Hyperion Stakes (1600m) at Belmont on Saturday.
The rugged eight-year-old son of Iffraaj had returned to racing in style when he took out his second Gr.3 Drummond Golf Belmont Sprint (1400m) fresh up a fortnight ago.
With superstar West Australian jockey Willie Pike in the saddle again, Western Empire settled outside the pacemaker Hoba West (Epaulette) but appeared to be a little fired up in the early stages before relaxing into a nice rhythm.
Hoba West shot clear by four lengths rounding the home bend before Western Empire balanced up for Pike and set out after him. Making ground with every stride Western Empire thrust his head out at just the right time to secure his 13th career victory and 12th at stakes level.
Pike was quick to pay tribute to his mount who was all grit and determination throughout.
“I wanted to ride him with cover but he jumped so fast and was a lot more fired up than he was first-up,” Pike said.
“I think that run woke him up and while I tried to get some cover, I had said to the ownership group I would rather be wide without cover than following a couple of the others as I didn’t think they would suit my style.
“Turns out we were outside the leader and although I wasn’t too worried about that it told on him late as he would have run to the line better, but he has a bit of class on his side.
“In all honesty it was all the horse as he had some fire in his belly today and I had to go with it as he is a horse you don’t argue with.
“I’ll back him rain, hail or shine and as it turned out that was the right thing to do.”
Bred in New Zealand by Peters Investments, Western Empire is by former Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Iffraaj and is out of Gr.2 Perth Cup (2400m) winner Western Jewel.
Western Empire has now had 37 starts for 13 wins, 10 placings and A$3.678 million in prize-money. - NZ Racing Desk
Winner: Western Empire (NZ) 2017
Owners: Mrs A D Williams, Mr A Latassa, Ms S J Leury
Trainer: Grant & Alana Williams (Karnup)
Breeding: by Iffraaj (GB) out of Western Jewel (AUS) by Jeune (GB)
Breeder: Peters Investments Pty Ltd
Electron upsets in Wanganui feature
Underrated mare Electron (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) turned some indifferent form of late upside down when she clung on by the barest of margins to take out the Listed AGC Training Stakes WFA (1600m) at Wanganui on Saturday.
The Sam Mynott-prepared daughter of Turn Me Loose had raced in stakes company at her last four starts and showed she was ready to strike her best form when a handy fifth in the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m) at her most recent run.
A noted pacemaker, the five-year-old was content to lob along in the trail for rider Mereana Hudson on this occasion as race favourite Churchillian (NZ) (Churchill) set up a steady speed in front, with Khafre sitting on her outside.
Rounding the home bend, Churchillian was immediately under pressure as Khafre (American Pharaoh) took over and booted for home, while Electron searched for a gap between the two. That space came at the 200m as Hudson shot the mare through to tackle Khafre and the pair went to the finish line in a torrid tussle that went in favour of Electron, with Khafre’s stablemate Nigella Lane (NZ) (Niagara) storming home late to take third.
Mynott was overjoyed with the victory, the first at stakes level for the mare she purchased for just $1,000 off gavelhouse.com in November 2023.
“We weren’t going to come here but she nearly made me fall off when working last week and she was bolting around the paddock,” Mynott said.
“She deserved this and I had said to Mereana we might try and lead, but she has done well and the horse is just really tough.
“She does need the stars to align at this level, which they did today, and I knew she had a Listed win in her.
“She’s very special, my little $1,000 gavelhouse.com purchase and she will go to the paddock now.”
Hudson was also thrilled to make in back-to back victories in the race after winning aboard Ears Back last year.
“We were supposed to lead but I had to go to Plan B when they crossed me,” she said. “Coming up to the corner I had a lot of horse underneath me and she took the gap and really ran home.
“You just have to keep her in a rhythm, keep her breathing and I knew she had got there.”
Bred by Ben Kwok, Electron is out of the Shamardal mare Chemistry, a daughter of 2005 Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) placegetter Tick By (Zabeel) and has now won a touch under $200,000 in prizemoney from wins from her six wins from 30 career starts.- Kevin Robertson, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
Winner: Electron (NZ) 2020
Owners: Ms S P Mynott
Trainer: Sam Mynott / Cambridge
Breeding: by Turn Me Loose (NZ) out of Chemistry (AUS) by Shamardal (USA)
Breeder: C W Kwok
Sales: gavelhouse.com Thoroughbred 13 November 2023 auction V: Millar Racing $1000, P: Sam Mynott
Sounds Unusual leaves it late at Rosehill
New Zealand-bred gelding Sounds Unusual (NZ) (Unusual Suspect) left it late but gave another glimpse of his undoubted saying ability when he came from last on the home bend to claim victory in the Benchmark78 Greg Millett Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill.
A trial winner from his only public outing in New Zealand, the five-year-old son of Unusual Suspect found his way to Chris Waller’s Sydney stable after being privately sold across the Tasman to one of Waller’s major clients, the Muollo family. Waller’s wife Stephanie also shares in the ownership
Handled patiently on Saturday by rider Reece Jones, Unusual Suspect found himself spotting leader and race favourite Shangri La Impact (NZ) (Staphanos) more than six lengths rounding the final corner as Jones hooked him to the outside to unleash his finish.
Sounds Unusual made good ground and joined leader and stablemate Belle Detelle (Zed) at the 75m before putting his head in front to take out the contest by a long neck.
Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said finding a race with a solid tempo was key for both horses, particularly the winner, and felt he was more likely to get that in stronger races.
"We were a bit worried whether 1800 was going to be far enough for Sounds Unusual,” Duckworth said.
“He always seems like he's looking for further, so that tempo is vital to him.
"The higher in grade you go, you generally get a bit better tempo anyway.
"If they handle wet tracks it's a big, old bonus coming into winter, and it looks like we're in for a pretty wet one."
Duckworth also expects Belle Detelle, who is a daughter of Black Lace (NZ) Towkay, the half- sister to champion mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) to keep improving and says like Verry Elleegant, her biggest hurdle has been her racing manners.
"It's definitely in the family," he said.
"When she won the Adrian Knox (Gr.3, 2000m), she looked like she was going to be a superstar. She won with a leg in the air.
"Her manners have been the hardest thing to work out, so if she can get everything right she can win some decent races."
Sounds Unusual is a son of Letham Stud stallion Unusual Suspect and is the first foal to race out of the Perfectly Ready mare Perfectlyenchanted (NZ), who herself recorded six wins in a 37-start career.
He has now won three of his 14 starts with a further eight placings and just over A$300,000 in prizemoney. - NZ Racing Desk
Winner: Sounds Unusual (NZ) 2020
Owners: Mrs S J Waller, Mrs G L Muollo, Miss N A Muollo, Miss S A Muollo, Mr A M Muollo, Mr A N Muollo
Trainer: Mr Chris Waller (Rosehill)
Breeding: by Unusual Suspect (USA) out of Perfectlyenchanted (NZ) by Perfectly Ready (AUS)
Breeder: Mrs K A & N J Auret
First Chorus sings a winning tune at Caulfield
Hot favourite First Chorus (NZ) (Ghibellines) returned to her winning ways when she came from last to bolt home in the Benchmark 78 Rod Fenwick Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield.
Sporting the colours of Spicer Thoroughbreds and relishing the Heavy8 track conditions, the four-year-old mare sat last in the running for rider Jamie Mott before unleashing her final burst as the widest runner in the home straight.
Trainer Lindsey Smith had expressed plenty of confidence before the race after the mare had failed on unsuitable firm footing at Flemington last start and with the moisture in the surface on Saturday his charge made short work of her rivals in the concluding stages, winning under a hold by just over two lengths from Enna’s Dream (Winning Rupert) who also ran home well late but was no match for the winner.
Smith was pleased to see his charge bounce back from her last start failure.
“She dropped in grade to her last run and I was a bit more hopeful as the ground suited her and she has been feeling good the last few days,” Smith said.
“She has spent time down at the beach and she feels the hard ground, so she got it right today with the scratchings and the track conditions.
“There is a race next week for her at Flemington, a Benchmark84 where we can claim, so if it rains we will be here again next week.
Mott had some concerns in the run but when he asked the mare in the home straight, she stretched out really well.
“I thought I would be outside the leader but there was more pressure so I trusted her to travel comfortably and she did it well.
“I was a little concerned on the corner she wasn’t going that well but she travels in the ground, she loves the heavy ground, and she wound up nicely in the run home.”
First Chorus was bred by Dean Lawrence with his mother-in-law, Diana Duff-Staniland and Paul Duffus and was purchased privately by Brad Spicer of Spicer Thoroughbreds.
She is a full sister to seven-time winner Bellini Miss (NZ), with the pair out of the winning O’Reilly mare Broadway Miss (NZ).
Her fifth win from just 11 starts has now netted her A$232,760 in prizemoney. - NZ Racing Desk
Winner: First Chorus (NZ) 2021
Owners: Mr B J Spicer, Mr S S Roth, Mr D R Wockner, Grass Roots Racing, A A F T'Angles, Mr B Man, Mr S Crisci, Mr C Sacchetta, Mr M R Cawley, Mr C D Taylor, Mr C P Byrne, Mr G A Kernahan, Mr D Davies, Mr M Stevens, Mr N Johnstone, Bell View Park Stud
Trainer: Mr Lindsey Smith (Geelong)
Breeding: by Ghibellines (AUS) out of Broadway Miss (NZ) by O'Reilly (NZ)
Breeder: Ms D Duff-Staniland, P M Duffus & D R Lawrence
Daring tactics secure victory for Hezdarnhottoo
A brilliant rails-hugging ride from Jett Stanley paved the way for Kiwi-bred gelding Hezdarnhottoo (NZ) (Too Darn Hot) to claim an outstanding victory in the last race on the Caulfield card on Saturday, the Darren Gauci Handicap (1200m)
Bred by Elsdon Park’s Lib and Katrina Petagna, Hezdarnhottoo races out of the Bjorn Baker stable and was purchased by Baker in partnership with Clarke Bloodstock for $170,000 out of Elsdon Park’s inaugural 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 draft.
Stanley had most onlookers stunned when he deliberately steered the son of Too Darn Hot to the inside throughout and was more than ten lengths clear rounding the home bend.
The four-year-old gelding never looked like shirking his task and despite a rally from the runners charging home out wide he held on to complete his third career victory from just 13 starts.
Baker stable representative Jack Chard was quick to place the credit for the unusual tactics squarely on the shoulders of Stanley.
“Bjorn told me this morning that we’ll try and get a bit of cover, but they have been coming wide and when Jett said he was going to hug the rail I didn’t think it was the worst idea,” Chard said.
“Look at him now, it’s paid off and was a great ride.
“We’ve always had an opinion of the horse and I’ve tipped him to everyone, but he just hasn’t shown up at the races, so to get the chocolates today is beautiful.
“Last start he didn’t get a run when he needed it and before that he was getting beaten by good horses by a length or so.
“We actually brought him here for a dry track and got a Heavy 8, but thankfully it hasn’t rained that much so it (the track) has held up well.
“I’m just stoked for the team and the owners, so well done to everyone.”
Stanley admitted he had done his homework during the day to come up with the riding plan in the race.
“I’ve been watching and riding in races all day and I just couldn’t wrap my head around how the outside was so much better than the inside when they haven’t run on it for ten weeks,” he said.
“I thought they would be losing five to seven lengths going out so wide, so I went back out after the second last race and walked it again to make sure I was confident in the plan.
“Bjorn said go out there and do what you have to, to get the job done. To the horse’s credit he was lost for much of the race with no-one around him but he just kept pushing and found the line.
“I was either going to be a genius or an idiot and turned out to be a genius.”
The son of Too Darn Hot is the third winner from as many to race for the stakes-placed Savabeel mare Rosa Carolina who raced in Petagna’s familiar blue, yellow and apple green racing colours. - NZ Racing Desk
Winner: Hezdarnhottoo (NZ) 2021
Owners: Bjorn Baker Racing, Mr B E Risetto, Mr L Petagna, Mr W E Preston, Mr K Salagic, Mr M T Mathews, Mr S B Dixon, Mr M M Raftery, Mr H I Myers, Mrs C M Myers, Mr D J Armstrong, Mr R J Chilcott, Mr B M Dowling, Mr A D Mathews, Mr M McKelvie, Mr A P Proctor, Mr P Power, Mr M Small, Mr A Shelley, Mr S J Pickworth
Trainer: Mr Bjorn Baker (Warwick Farm)
Breeding: by Too Darn Hot (GB) out of Rosa Carolina (NZ) by Savabeel (AUS)
Breeder: JML Bloodstock Ltd
Sales: 2023 National Yearling Sales Series V: Elsdon Park $170,000, P: Bjorn Baker Racing / Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA)
NZ Racing Desk
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
Kevin Robertson
