3 minute read
Group One performed mare retired; Derby target for Young Werther; Atishu aiming for 1000 Guineas; Patience paying off with Tanaawol; Simply Optimistic back in the winner's circle
Group One performed mare retired
The Ken and Bev Kelso-trained Princess Kereru has been retired after finishing 11th in Saturday's Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m).
The seven-year-old daughter of Pins finished nine-and-a-half lengths in arears of impressive winner Avantage, a far cry from her best form where she was a Group Three winner and was narrowly beaten into second in the 2019 Gr.1 Railway (1200m).
"She was going to stud this year anyway and has a booking to Almanzor," Ken Kelso said.
"The plan was to race her and if her form warranted it to race her on in-foal. But it was a sub-par performance on Saturday, and we thought it best that she be retired now. She's probably done enough."
Bred and raced by Paul Humphries and his sons Kevan, Richard and Michael, Princess Kereru won seven of 30 starts, with a further 10 placings.
"It's just unfortunate that she didn't win the Railway, but she couldn't have done much better, she's Group One placed and a Group Three winner," Kelso said.
"She's also Group Two placed and a Listed winner. She's been a bonny little mare and she's done us and the owners proud. She's a seven-year-old mare so it's time to look for a new career."
Derby target for Young Werther
Young Werther showed he has the potential to follow in his namesakes footsteps when winning over 1500m on debut at Geelong on Sunday.
Named after another son of Tavistock, former Hong Kong Horse of the Year and Hong Kong Derby (2000m) winner Werther, Young Werther showed a brilliant turn of foot in the final furlong of his race to record a 1-1/4 length victory.
Trainer Danny O'Brien, a well-known advocate of the speed gene test, was delighted with the win and said the gelding surpassed expectations over 1500m.
"He is a horse we did enough with as a two-year-old, he had a couple of jump outs," he said.
"He is a T:T long, which means he needs a mile-and-a-half to show his best.
"We sent him there (Geelong) without huge expectations, just to ride him to hit the line, but he certainly produced."
O'Brien was buoyed by what he saw and he is now eyeing a path towards the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) in November with the three-year-old who is rated a $17 chance for the Flemington feature.
"He is really promising and potentially we might get him towards the Derby this spring," he said.
"I thought he may be an autumn Derby horse, but that was really impressive.
"He will have no problem running the trip and he has got good, strong acceleration for a horse who has also go plenty of stamina."
Young Werther was purchased by O'Brien, in partnership with Aquis Farm, out of Cambridge Stud's 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $140,000 and is out of the winning Fastnet Rock mare Romantic Time.
Cambridge Stud's late stallion Tavistock is well represented by VRC Derby prospects, with Deepstrike, Johnny Get Angry, Captain Corelli and Wertheimer featuring prominently in early markets, in addition to Young Werther.
Atishu aiming for 1000 Guineas
Lightly raced three-year-old Atishu proved she was up to stakes class when finishing runner-up in the Listed Wanganui Guineas (1200m) on Saturday.
Racing in the silks of syndicator Go Racing, the daughter of Savabeel was having just her second career start after finishing second on debut at Taupo last month.
Despite striking traffic problems, Atishu found the line well to finish second to talented filly Only Words.
Trainer Stephen Marsh has confirmed Group One targets await the cleverly-named Atishu, who is out of the No Excuse Needed mare Posy.
"She is being aimed at the 1000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) and we may even give the 2000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) some thought," Marsh said.
"She will have a week off now and you won't see her again until October 2 at Te Rapa in a three-year-old 1200m race."
Patience paying off with Tanaawol
A patient approach with three-year-old colt Tanaawol paid off for trainers Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig at Geelong on Sunday.
The son of Savabeel was having just his second career start, but showed plenty of improvement from his debut performance in April where he disappointed when finishing last.
"It was a very slow run race that day and they sprinted home and it didn't suit him at all," Hayes said.
"He did come out of that race very shinny. He was just very immature and told us he needed more time.
"We gave him that time and I was happy with the way he trialled up this prep and he converted it to the racetrack."
Under a patient ride by jockey Jamie Mott, Tanaawol sat off the pace for the majority of the race before Mott was able to navigate his way through the field and find clear running room late and Tanaawol was able to storm home to win by three-quarters of a length.
"He weaved through the traffic beautifully and won like a very good horse," Hayes said.
"We will see how he comes through the run, but they all love to have a crack at the (Caulfield) Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) and he really put his hand up today (Sunday) in a race where a lot of horses were fancied.
"We could have some fun with him."
Tanaawol was purchased out of Waikato Stud's 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $500,000 by Shadwell Stud and bloodstock consultant Hubie de Burgh.
The handsome colt is out of the O'Reilly mare Cupid, a half-sister to Group One performer Another Dollar.
Simply Optimistic back in the winner's circle
Former New Zealand galloper Simply Optimistic recorded his first victory for trainers Trent Busuttin and Natale Young when successful in a benchmark 78 race over 1200m at Geelong on Sunday.
The six-year-old gelding was formerly trained by Busuttin and Young's stable foreman Brendon Hawtin, and they were thrilled to get the win for the expat Kiwi who shares in the ownership of the gelding with his father Keith.
"Brendon (Hawtin) who works with us does plenty of work with the horse and it's just so good to see him get a win on the board." Busuttin said.
The son of Encosta De Lago's last win came at Randwick in June last year and Busuttin said he just hasn't had the rub of the green.
"We thought he would have won one by now. He just hasn't had things go his way, he's quite a head strong horse," he said.
Positioned on the rails by jockey Craig Williams, Simply Optimistic only had tiring favourite Deep Dive to go around before surging ahead for a one length victory.
"The pace was on, he got a good run and didn't over-race and showed a good turn of foot," Busuttin said.
Busuttin is confident Simply Optimistic can step up to bigger assignments in the coming months.
"I'm sure he can measure to a better race and I'm very happy for all involved," he said.