Ballarat, Listed Sportsbet Ballarat Cup, $500,000, 2000m
Race summary
In form gelding Irish Flame (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) brought up his third win in a row with a tough performance here.
Ridden by Michael Walker, the gelding jumped from a wide barrier and was forced to settled three-wide with no cover. He peeled out around the bend and managed to battle past the leaders before holding off a late challenge by Affair To Remember (Toronado {Ire}) to win by 0.1l.
Bitterly unlucky after settling back in the field and having to weave her way through horses in the straight, Affair To Remember managed to score second while Game Keeper (Fastnet Rock) snuck through on the rail for third.
Pedigree notes
Irish Flame is the seventh foal to race out of Fleur De L’Orient (NZ) (Thunder Gulch {USA}), who is also responsible for stakes placegetter Langridge Street (NZ) (Elvstroem).
Fleur De L’Orient is out of dual stakes winner Fleur De Chine (NZ) (Centaine), making her a brother to G1 Australasian Oaks winner Tully Thunder (NZ) and a half-sister to Lipari (Redoute’s Choice), the dam of G1 Australian Derby winner Levendi (Pierro).
Irish Flame is one of 13 stakes winners for Zed (NZ), who is also the sire of star mare Verry Elleegant (NZ).
Pukekohe, G2 Dunstan Feeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ S., NZ$100,000, 1400m
Race summary
Media Sensation (I Am Invincible) hadn’t raced since March, but three lead-up trials had the mare in forward condition and she raced accordingly.
The Peter and Dawn Williams-trained mare was taken straight to the front by rider Opie Bosson and she was determined in the straight to see off all challenges.
Showoroses (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}) produced a career-best effort to take second with Supreme Heights (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}) fighting on doggedly for third.
Pedigree notes
Bred by Linda Huddy, Media Sensation is one of nine individual Group 1 winners for I Am Invincible and joined that elite band courtesy of her victory as a 3-year-old in the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas.
She was offered at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale by Lime Country Thoroughbreds and purchased for NZ$425,000 by Sarah Green and Ger Beemsterboer.
Media Sensation is a daughter of Different To (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) who is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Dorabella (NZ) (Postponed {USA}) and the multiple black-type winner Crusoe (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}).
Another New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner on the pedigree page is Insouciant (NZ) (Keeper).
Pukekohe, G3 Franklin Auctions Counties Cup, NZ$100,000, 2100m
Race summary
In A Twinkling (Fastnet Rock) won this race last year and turned his form around to produce a successful defence of his title.
The Jamie Richards-trained 5-year-old failed to beat a runner home at his most recent appearance in the Listed Karaka Classic, but the step up to a middle distance brought about the necessary improvement.
Rider Opie Bosson had him travelling sweetly in second spot before hitting the front 200 metres from home and they held off the late run of stablemate Savy Yong Blonk (NZ) (Savabeel) and Grand Bouquet (NZ) (Savabeel) got home from the back for third.
Pedigree notes
Bred by Caradale, In A Twinkling is a son of Coolmore’s champion sire Fastnet Rock who has sired Group 1 winners all around the racing globe, including Avantage, Sherwood Forest, Atlante, Rock ‘N' Pop, Age Of Fire and Albany Reunion in New Zealand.
In A Twinkling was a NZ$250,000 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale buy for Te Akau’s David Ellis and is out of the G3 Auraria S. winner Moment In Time (Archway {USA}).
Under the second dam is the G2 Sandown Cup winner Conbituate Lady (Habituate {Ire}) and the G3 Belmont Sprint H. winner San Salvador (Anyone Home).
Pukekohe, Listed Fasttrack Insurance 2YO S., NZ$50,000, 1100m
Race summary
Brix (NZ) (Sweynesse) completed a magical week for trainer Glen Harvey when she stormed into Karaka Million contention with a dashing victory.
It was Harvey’s first black-type success and came off the NZ$230,000 sale of a Reliable Man (GB) gelding, bought by his parents Bruce and Maureen for NZ$5100 as a yearling, under his Roysyn Stables banner at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale.
Brix settled in the trail and once angled into the clear she powered home to down Quattro Quinta (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) with Cool Change (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}) closing late to cut the favourite Beldarra (Hinchinbrook) out of third.
Pedigree notes
This result credited Novara Park’s Sweynesse with a third stakes winner at black-type level following the success last season of first-crop representative Bonita Aurelia (NZ) in the G3 Taranaki 2YO Classic, and Brix in the Listed Fasttrack Insurance 2YO S.
Brix was purchased out of Kilgravin Lodge’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale draft by Harvey for NZ$45,000 and is out of the winning Postponed (USA) mare Somethymesoon (NZ), also runner-up in the G3 Eulogy S.
The dam is a sister to Post Thyme (NZ), who was successful on five occasions, including two at Listed level, and she also finished fourth in an edition of the G2 Eight Carat Classic.
Pukekohe, Listed Haunui Farm Counties Bowl, NZ$50,000, 1100m
Race summary
Levante (NZ) (Proisir) had only been beaten once in four of her five starts last season and that came when she lost 5l at the start of the G2 Wellington Guineas and still finished second.
The 4-year-old was making her first appearance since that defeat and she was again slowly away to settle at the tail of the field. She was last on the turn before unleashing a devastating sprint to earn favouritism at NZ$3 for January’s G1 Railway S.
Summer Passage (Snitzel) hit the front 200 metres off the post, but couldn’t withstand the winner’s finish and Its Destinys Child (NZ) (Castledale {Ire}) took third off Julius (NZ) (Swiss Ace).
Pedigree notes
Levante is the fourth stakes winner for Rich Hill Stud-based sire Proisir, who has also produced the Group 3 winners Riodini (NZ), Aimee’s Jewel (NZ) and Vitesse Bo (NZ).
His latest success story is a half-sister to the multiple winners and stakes performers Miss Isle (NZ) (Bachelor Duke {USA}) and Doyenne (NZ) (Kilimanjaro {GB}).
Their dam is Island Doy (GB) (Doyoun {Ire}) and she is a half-sister to the G3 Courier Mail Classic winner Cryptavia (Gold Brose). There is a strong international theme to the pedigree, which features the G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner and sire Bering (GB) and the G2 King Edward VII S. winner and sire Balakheri (Ire).
