Written by Paul Vettise
The classic quest of Melt (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) gained further momentum when she retained her unbeaten record for the season with another success at Ruakaka.
All roads lead to Christchurch in November for the G1 gavelhuse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas and astute trainer Nigel Tiley was mindful of that when he decided to return to the Far North with the filly.
Saturday’s G3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Plate was considered a better option than the longer road trip to Hastings for next Saturday’s G3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail S.
“In the end it’s a six-hour round trip up here or a twelve-hour round trip down there.” – Nigel Tiley.
“We were tossing up whether to come up here or go to Hawke’s Bay next week,” Tiley said. “In the end it’s a six-hour round trip up here or a twelve-hour round trip down there.
“Christchurch is where we want to be, so we will take her home and decide where we are going to go from here, but Christchurch is going to be the grand finale.”
Melt had opened her campaign with an emphatic win at Ruakaka earlier this month and the multiple stakes winner produced more of the same on Saturday.
“She didn’t get the best of runs early, but she got a nice split at the top of the straight,” Tiley said.
“I knew how much that other race had brought her on, so to be honest I was pretty confident she could do it.”
Bred by part-owner Andrew Fowler, Melt is a daughter of the dual black type winner Ticklish (NZ) (Maroof {USA}). It is the family featuring the G1 VRC Derby winner Omnicorp (NZ) (Grosvenor {NZ}) and the stakes winner and Group 1 performer Miss Scarlatti (Stravinsky {USA}).
In other Group 3 New Zealand action at Awapuni, genuine mare She’s Poppy (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}) struck again to add the Boehringer Ingelheim H., to her record.
Already the winner this preparation of the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup and two black type runner-up finishes, She’s Poppy came with a well-timed finish in the hands of regular partner Shaun McKay.
“He rode her well and I couldn’t be happier.” – Raymond Connors.
“He rode her well and I couldn’t be happier,” said trainer Raymond Connors, who races the mares with his father Marc. “We’ve worked out that she goes best when she’s kept fresh and likes her races spaced out.”
She’s Poppy travelled comfortably in midfield and she flattened out generously in the closing 200 metres to down Art Deco (NZ) (Road To Rock) and Dez (NZ) (Colombia).
“I’ve never ridden a horse with a heart the size of hers,” McKay said. “When we got a roll on she really tried. When she’s fresh, she’s very hard to beat.”
Pedigree Notes
She’s Poppy is a half-sister to two winners including the black type performer Ridley (NZ) (Handsome Ransom). They are out of Cassandra (NZ) (Centro) whose six foals to race have all been successful.
The dam is also a half-sister to the G2 Crown H., winner Coachwood (NZ) (Bakharoff {USA}) and the third dam is the former quality galloper and G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Young Ida (NZ) (Oncidium {GB}).
