New Zealand
Herbie Dyke Stakes (Group 1)
CHAMPION New Zealand jockey Opie Bosson brought up his 100th Group 1 win at Te Rapa on Saturday when he took Legarto to her fourth Group 1 in the Herbie Dyke Stakes at weight-for-age over 2,000 metres.
Settled near the rear of the nine-horse field, 45-year-old Bosson began to improve the position of the Ken and Bev Kelso-trained six-year-old 900 meters from home.
Circling her rivals, Legarto was four lengths from the lead at the top of the straight. Taking it up, the British-bred Kingswood, winner of the Group 1 Zabeel Classic in December and the race favourite, looked to have enough in hand.
Tenaciously, Bosson and Legarto kept at it. With her nose in front over the final half-dozen strides, the Proisir mare defeated the Roaring Lion horse by a nose as the Zacinto gelding The Odyssey claimed third.
“It is very special, it is just a crying shame Bev can’t be here to witness it,” said Ken Kelso. “I know it is Opie’s 100th Group 1, but it is our 15th.
“When she loomed up I thought she would be hard to beat. Everyone had written her off but she is an Australian Group 1 winner and you can’t take that away from her. It’s a great satisfaction. She has had a few setbacks, she did a tendon and had a lot of time off, and she had a foot problem this time with her heel.”
Emotion
For Bosson, who retired last year before returning to the saddle the emotion was palpable.
“It is just huge. It has taken a lot of hard work out at Te Akau Stud with David Ellis. A lot of people have been involved, Stephen Autridge has been like my rock the whole way through, and I am pleased to have finally got it,” said Bosson.
“There have been many highlights and to get the 100th today is right up there. Twelve months ago I gave up on 99 and when I came back this was the main goal. To finally get it is great and I feel like I am back to riding close to my best. I am pretty happy. It is pretty special to ride my 100th Group 1 for Ken and Bev, they are lovely people and I owe them heaps.”
For sale
As a postscript to the race, Legarto will be offered on day one, May 26th, at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
“We’ve already arranged for her to go to Brian Nutt at Attunga Stud to be prepared for the sale,” said part-owner Philip Brown.
“Being a partnership, public auction is the proper way to realise her true worth. As a multiple Group 1 winner, including 1 in Australia (Australian Guineas at Flemington), she’s obviously a valuable mare, so it’s going to be an interesting exercise.”
Legarto will line-up again in the Group 1 Bonecrusher Stakes on March 7th, New Zealand Derby day at Ellerslie.
BCD Group Sprint (Group 1)
A MONTH since winning his maiden Group 1 in the Telegraph, trainer David Greene relived the moment when First Five made it back-to-back Group 1 wins in the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint over 1,400 metres at Te Rapa on Saturday.
With Wiremu Pinn retaining the ride, First Five had a lovely trail behind some solid pace before chiming in on rounding the bend. Pouncing on the leading pair with 200 metres remaining, Pinn kept the Almanzor gelding’s mind on the job as the pair cleared out to win by two lengths. Second was the Shamexpress gelding Sterling Express with the Tarzino mare Tomodachi in third.
“He is just an absolute machine and I thought he played with them today,” said Pinn. “It panned out perfect. I had myself mapped to be outside Here To Shock, but there was a little more speed than I thought.
“They ran at a genuine pace, which was good, we were in a good rhythm, never spent a penny and he has blown them away. He is very special, I think he can win a Group 1 at 1,200 metres and 2,000 metres. He has got a very bright future.”
“There is a huge (ownership) crowd for him here today and what a win, he just dominated them. I guess we will run up at Ellerslie in a couple of weeks and give him a go over a mile,” said David Greene in reference to the Group 1 Otaki Maori at Ellerslie on February 21st.
Australia
THE Chris Waller-trained Fireball is two from two after taking out the A$2 million Inglis Millennium over 1,100 metres at Randwick on Saturday.
The sprint, a restricted race for horses purchased through Inglis sales, is the third richest juvenile race in Australia. Sent out favourite with James McDonald up, the Snitzel colt impressed from midfield on rounding the bend.
Ridden strongly to the line, Fireball kept improving to draw clear and win by the best part of a length. Second was the Street Boss filly Ghana’s Akan ahead of the Alabama Express colt Alibaba.
“He’ll head to the Golden Slipper, although not through the Silver Slipper as we have a couple of others for that, but it won’t be far after that,” said Chris Waller.
“His first win was very special and then again today. We were a little bit concerned about taking on a 16-horse field, whether he’d be up to that type of pressure, but James made it look easy.”
Fireball was purchased by James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership and Tony Fung Colts for $460,000 at last year’s Easter Yearling Sale. Fireball is now on the third line of betting for the Golden Slipper behind the equal favourites Hidrix and Warwoven.
THE Inglis Classic Yearling sale completed its three sessions last Tuesday with a Ghaiyyath colt topping the sale at A$625,000.
“We’ve got a lot of confidence in this sale,” said co-buyer Calvin McEvoy. “We’ve bought a couple of Group 1 winners out of the sale recently and if you do the hard work, you can find a bit of value and we felt like we’ve shopped around that value and this was the big standout colt we wanted to take home.”
Out of the Dehere mare Berg En Dal, the Ghaiyyath colt was one of 11 yearlings to make $350,000 or greater with the highest priced filly (third highest overall), by Extreme Choice out of the Exceed And Excel mare Nais Ko selling for $425,000.
Overall the sale averaged $97,114 at a clearance rate of 84% for the 593 of 708 yearlings sold. The median at the sale was $75,000 and the gross $57,588,500.
MORE than 10,000 racegoers will be on-course at Flemington this weekend, soaking up the summer sunshine as elite Group 1 racing returned for Black Caviar Lightning Race Day.
The Victoria Racing Club (VRC) will officially unveil, The Perfect Run: Australia’s Undefeated Racing Legend, a large-scale, immersive and interactive exhibition celebrating Black Caviar’s extraordinary career.
The exhibition will showcase Black Caviar’s trophies, awards and limited-edition memorabilia, while also highlighting her cultural impact and enduring legacy within Australian sport.
The $1 million five-furlong Black Caviar Lightning has a high-quality field set to charge down the famous Flemington straight.
The headline contenders include seasoned star Giga Kick and talented three-year-old colt Tentyris, who stamped himself as one to watch in the Spring with victory in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.