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Mai Tai strikes in the Anzac Mile Stakes
The Jamie Richards-trained Mai Tai (4 m ex Tropical Punch by Faltaat) added some valuable black-type to her CV when she broke through at stakes level in the Anzac Mile (Listed, 1550m) at Awapuni on Sunday and in doing so handed late Mapperley Stud resident Atlante (Fastnet Rock) with his fourth stakes winner.
The four-year-old mare, who has now won five of her ten starts, stayed on well to beat Quiz Kid (Iffraaj) by three-quarters of a length, while Pierina (Savabeel) was another length and three-quarters away in third.
“She’s a promising mare who has just taken time to mature,” Richards said.
“She’s been getting better all season and has worked her way nicely through the grades.
“She’s not the easiest mare to train and has her moments but the team at home have done a super job with her.
“It’s also great to train another winner for the Hawkins family as we had a good deal of success for them with Our Abbadean (7 wins) and have had some lovely horses from their Wentwood Grange operation.”
Richards was also delighted with the ride by Sam Collett, who followed instructions to the letter.
“I did say to Sam to be positive and try and ride her in the first four or five,” Richards said.
“I think she (Mai Tai) might be a little bit better going right-handed, but she copped the track well and did things right today.
“She can have a break now and come back for the spring.”
Bred and raced by the Hawkins family under their Llanhennock Trust banner, and Sean Hawkins explained the win was made all the more special, given the mare’s tricky start in life.
“It’s very special to get that win with Mai Tai as she was a foster foal and has a special place in the hearts of all of our staff here on the farm.
“She has a massive fan club, who text and Facebook message each other about her, as they just adore her.
“Jamie [Richards] thought she was well placed at Awapuni as opposed to tackling the Easter Handicap at Ellerslie yesterday and his judgement was spot on.”
The mare is out of dual-winning stakes-placed Faltaat (Mr Prospector) and becomes the first stakes winner in three generations of her family, while her fourth dam produced Listed winner Extracts (Snippets).
Altante died in 2016 and his stakes winners are headed by Group 1 winner Callsign Mav.