Christmas at the Races

December 4th races in review

Riccarton Park has been the busiest New Zealand Racecourse since racing resumed after the ‘lockdown’ and suspension of training and racing enforced by the COVID-19 alert levels.
Friday December 4^th’s Christmas at the Races meeting was the 12^th meeting held on the course since June and brought the curtain down on the 2020 calendar year at Riccarton Park.
A large crowd of Christmas party goers were entertained in the Private Suites, Club Grandstand and mini marquees and witnessed a programme of nine races.
The feature race was the Perfect Packaging Handicap for the open sprinters. The sentimental favourite was DON CARLO trained by Terri Rae for ill trainer Michael Daly who so sadly passed away nine minutes prior to the jump. But there was no fairy-tale with DON CARLO running gamely to finish 5^th behind JOHNNY JONES and KHIMAR WAR.
JOHNNY JONES was one of two winners for rider TINA COMIGNAGHI and trainers John and Karen Parsons, the other being MY SOVA in the Christchurch Casino Maiden.
Star apprentice Kozzi Asano signed off at his local track prior to going on loan to master jockey now trainer Lance O’Sullivan by riding two winners for his employer Andrew Carston. They were aboard EASY ON THE EYE in the aptly named Skelton Brother Maiden and the very next race the HeatStore Maiden aboard NYMPADORA TONKS part owned by CJC Chief Executives wife Wendy Mills who was also the sponsor.
And finally a result definitely not for the punters PURE CLASS won the last of the twilight meeting and the year the Racecourse Hotel Handicap at odds of 71/1