Written by Paul Vettise
Stephen Marsh received the belated Christmas present he had been dreaming off with a pair of 2-year-olds now safely in the country’s richest race for juveniles.
The Cambridge trainer produced Appellant (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}) to beat barn mate Chiaretta (Makfi {GB}) in Wednesday’s SNG Media H. at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
The fillies will now have sufficient prize-money to nail down spots in the Karaka Million in late January.
“That was a great result and they’ll both be in the race now.” – Stephen Marsh.
“That was a great result and they’ll both be in the race now,” Marsh said. “I thought both of them ran really well.
“Appellant had a couple of runs under her belt and she looks like she may benefit from some head gear, it’s something to think about.”
Appellant leads the field home in the SNG Media H.
Placed in the Listed Wellesley S. at her previous outing, Appellant jumped well to sit in third spot one off the fence and she was too strong in the closing 200 metres for Chiaretta, who was in front at the top of the straight.
“She ranged up and looked like she was really going to put them away, but wavered around a bit.” - Stephen Marsh.
“She ranged up and looked like she was really going to put them away, but wavered around a bit,” Marsh said.
“She’s a big, strong filly and I was very happy with the pair of them.”
Appellant was a NZ$30,000 Karaka purchase out of Haunui Farm’s New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale draft.
Watch: Appellant as a yearling
First foal
She is the first foal of Royal Appellant (Keeper), a direct descendant of the former Australian Horse of the Year and multiple Group 1 winner Maybe Mahal (Maybe Lad).
Appellant was ridden by Samantha Collett, who said the filly revelled in the rain-affected ground.
“The tracks really played into her hands. She’s had a good look around Ellerslie now and any cut in the track for the Karaka Millions will help her.”
Boxing Day bonanza
Boxing Day at Ellerslie has been kind to trainer Roger James and his long-time owners Ron and Fran Dixon and their roll continued with Hypnos (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) gunning down the favourite Dawn Patrol (NZ) (Dawn Approach {IRE}) to win the Listed Shaw’s Wire Ropes Uncle Remus S.
“It’s wonderful to train another good winner for Ron and Fran,” said James, who now trains in partnership with Robert Wellwood.
“They were my first ever owners and the first people I ever bought a yearling for. We’ve won a Derby on Boxing Day and an Eight Carat with Hades and Hera so we’ve had a lot of good times together and I think we’ll have more with this horse.”
Hypnos may also be given the opportunity to add to the connections’ classic record.
“He’s taken a bit of making and has got better with every start.” - Roger James.
“He’s taken a bit of making and has got better with every start,” James said. “He may well be a Derby horse.”
In the short term, Hypnos will make his next appearance in the G1 Levin Classic at Trentham on January 12.
The gelding raced midfield under the in-form jockey Ryan Elliot and they made their run closest to the fence to upstage Dawn Patrol with Puyllyoursocks (NZ) (Thewayyouare {USA}) up taking third. Lincoln Falls (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) came from last to take fourth money.
