Starting with a great finish
Riccarton’s Winter Cup (Gr 3, 1600m) got the new season off to a heart-stopping start when Jay Bee Gee (Complacent) got the judge’s nod by the narrowest of margins, a judge that clearly had a much clearer image than we the public were provided. It sure looked like a dead-heat. Winning jockey Kelly Myers also thought it was a dead-heat but was obviously delighted to get the decision outright. Warren Kennedy, aboard runner-up Freeze Frame (Vadamos), raised his arm in victory after the line but the photo proved otherwise.
The official margin of a nose was actually less than that, perhaps a lip, but a win is a win and for Jay Bee Gee it was his sixth after landing the Amberley Cup six weeks prior and second win in three starts this preparation. Last winter he scored in Trentham’s Whyte Handicap (1600m), as well as over 2000 metres at the same Riccarton meeting twelve months ago.
Bradman (Pins), who took over from the 1000 metres, narrowly led Jay Bee Gee at the 200 metres, as well as at the 100 metres, and was ever so brave until the shadows of the post. It was these two that fought out the finish, however Freeze Frame came out of the pack and stormed home, causing the judge to earn his keep, with Bradman another nose back in third.
Jay Bee Gee was tried in the New Zealand Cup (Gr 3, 3200m) last November but his best form is on deeper tracks. All six wins have been on tracks rated as Heavy 10. Now a seven-year-old he has only had 20 starts for prize-money earnings of $175,135, a healthy return on the $26,000 outlaid at the 2019 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 2) from the Bradbury Park draft.
Jay Bee Gee was bred by Pencarrow Stud and ranks as a half-brother to another Riccarton stakes winner, William Wallace (Darci Brahma), whose eight wins included two Listed races there. His half-sister Harmonious (Turn Me Loose) won the next race on Saturday’s Riccarton card. Their half-sister, Hirondelle (Sepoy) produced 2023 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Pignan (Staphanos) and their dam Huluava (Pins) is a half-sister to two stakes winners, including Ellerslie Rich Hill Mile (Gr 2, 1600m) scorer and Group 1 placed Hasselhoof (Tavistock).
Their granddam Alpine (Zabeel) is a half-sister to Ellerslie Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Lord Ted (Lord Ballina) tracing to the original Melody Belle (Taipan II), not to be confused with the Commands (Danehill) version, although they both represent different branches of the Sarten “Belle” family. The original was no slouch, winning ten races, of which four were stakes.
Jay Bee Gee’s sire Complacent (Authorized) spent six seasons at Mapperley Stud but was overshadowed somewhat by his associate Contributer (High Chaparral). Interest from breeders steadily declined throughout and the stallion, a Group 1 winner of the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), plus three further Group races in a brief 11 start career, has since been exported to France. From his few small crops he has sired more than 40 winners, including four on Sunday – one in Melbourne (Sandown) and three at Hawera. Last season he sired Cuddle Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) winner Hi Yo Sass Bomb and Jay Bee Gee is just his second stakes winner. For the horse’s sake let’s hope his blood mixes well with French blood. Experience tells us that when a sire is discarded, often a top-liner emerges. It’s just the way things are.
Crocetti returns
“He’ll never race on a track like that again,” said Danny Walker, co-trainer of Crocetti (Zacinto), after the star three-year-old from last season fought off a strong challenge by a short head fresh up in the Kerikeri Cup (1100m), the open sprint at Ruakaka.
Persistent rain throughout the day saw the track downgraded from soft to a Heavy 8 by the time his keenly-awaited return to racing took place. Credit must go to the connections for sticking to their plan. For many attendees, getting a look at the star would have been a main reason for braving the cold and wet.
Ruakaka has developed a reputation as providing a superior winter surface but Saturday’s rain hardly let up causing the runners to race wide throughout and all were out in the centre of the track for the run home.
Crocetti had to dig deep when ex-Hong Kong performer Master Fay (Deep Field) issued his challenge over the final 100 metres. Giving 8 kilograms to the field, he rallied well and refused to let his pursuer pass. This winning return took his impressive record to nine starts for eight wins, including the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m). The four-year-old gelding’s only defeat was a gallant second to Bonny Lass (Super Easy) in the BCD Sprint (Gr 1, 1400m) last February, his final start as three-year-old.
Weather and track conditions permitting, Hastings and the Tarzino Trophy (Gr 1, 1400m) might be next but the goal is the rich Golden Eagle (1500m) in Sydney.
Happy man
Novara Park’s Luigi Muollo had a dream kick–off to the new season when Medatsu (Staphanos) put up a huge effort when taking out the first race on Rosehill’s card, the first Sydney Saturday race of the season.
The four-year-old a clear last early in the 1500-metre handicap, a position he remained in until approaching the 600-metre pole. With a sharp sprint he caught the field but his momentum (four deep) was such that rounding into the straight he was practically level with the leaders.
Sharing the lead at the 300 metres he looked vulnerable. At the 200 metres he could have been forgiven for fading, but at the 100 metres he finally reached the lead before going on to score tenaciously, his second win at start seven.
At the end of the day his 33.87 secs for the last 600 metres was the fastest by a good margin. By comparison, the last 600 metres of the 1100-metre race was run in 34.47secs, while the 1200-metre sectional was 34.45 secs, so it’s no wonder that Muollo was so pleased.
Winning trainer Chris Waller was similarly impressed. “Under heavy riding he was able to fend off all challenges. That was a great ride by Tommy [Berry] because it was a sprint home. They have reeled off a very quick time for the last 600 metres so he has come back and stuck on strongly,” he said.
Medatsu represents the first crop of Muollo’s Staphanos (Deep Impact), who will cover his sixth book this coming season. With his two crops to race so far, he has sired Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Pignan and in Melbourne has a good filly in Basilinna, who recorded three Group placings last season, including third in the VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m).
Medatsu himself claimed black type when running third in the 2023 Ryder Stakes (Listed, 1200m) before heading to Sydney. Staphanos remained sound through six seasons of racing so his stock may take the same path and improve with a little maturity.
Medatsu’s half-sister Rocababy (El Roca) is the winner of five races, including the Listed O’Leary Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui in 2022. His older half-brother Trigger Happy (Complacent) finally broke through for his maiden win on Sunday at Hawera. Their dam Christine Ann (Mastercraftsman) raced once and is a daughter of Bold Faith (Warning), a seven-time winner in England and France, including at Newmarket.
The impact of his sire Deep Impact (Sunday Silence) is well known but readers might be interested to learn that Kurofune (French Deputy), sire of Staphanos’s dam, traces to a family established by Seton Otway of Trelawney Stud.
Kurofune is from the American-bred Listed stakes winner Blue Avenue (Classic Go Go), a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Brought To Mind (Ruthie’s Native). Their dam Eliza Blue (Icecapade) is a granddaughter of Great Northern Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) winner Catania (Pride of Kildare) who also ran third in the Great Northern Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f).
After her export to the US, Catania succeeded in the Twilight Tear Handicap (Listed, 8.5f) at Arlington Park. Her half-brother Prince Grant (Alcimedes) was top–class, winning 14 races including the AJC Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f), AJC Sydney Cup (Gr 1, 2m) and AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 1m6f).
Prince Grant and Catania are from Chubin (Nizami), a half-sister to four stakes winners. The latter was named 1966 New Zealand Broodmare of the Year. Muollo is very familiar with the award as he co-bred Lucky Sweynesse (Sweynesse) out of his Madonna Mia (Red Clubs), winner of the prize in 2023.
Awoken
At Flemington on Saturday, two New Zealand-breds saluted. One was Horrifying (Shocking), who was following up his win at huge odds on July 20. That win, also at Flemington, was clearly no fluke as he was much too good again, this time over a longer distance. This was his fifth Flemington win, three of which have been at distances of 2530 metres or further. A report on Horrifying’s change of routine to beach training, was covered in the July 23 edition of Kiwi Chronicles.
The other winner was Rise At Dawn (Almanzor) who took his record to five wins in ten starts when leading from start to finish, despite drawing the outside alley, to score over 1620 metres.
Ridden by Daniel Stackhouse, Rise At Dawn was given a breather near the 600 metres before hugging the fence into the straight. He kicked at the 300 metres and put some space between himself and the chasers, and although the race was not over, he lifted nicely to run out a comfortable winner, having been challenged at the 100 metres.
Bred in New Zealand by the Smithies family, Rise At Dawn was sold at the 2022 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale realising $90,000, purchased by Lindsay Park Racing.
He was a two-year-old maiden winner on debut in July 2023 and won again two starts later in January of this year. In February he scored his first important win at Moonee Valley over 1600 metres but found the Alister Clark Stakes (Gr 2, 2040m) and the Port Adelaide Guineas (Listed, 1800m) a bit rich. Since then, after a short let-up, he bagged the Mary Longden Mile (1600m) in early June and was twice second (both at Flemington) leading into Saturday’s convincing victory.
He is the sixth winner from the good winner Kay’s Awake (Towkay) whose bold caps took place in the Newmarket Handicap (Listed, 1200m), one of her six wins. Kay’s Awake was a top performer in sprints and recorded two Group 1 seconds in the Telegraph Handicap (1200m) and Waikato Draft Sprint (1200m), plus thirds in the same two races. Her dam, Wake Up Suzie (Hereward the Wake), was a Listed winner at Riccarton.
Kiwi Chronicles is taking a short break and will return August 20.