Summer Festival finds success

• Some interesting results came out of the eight race March Industry Meeting.
• The most interesting was the all the way win by SUMMER FESTIVAL (image) in the last race over 2000 metres in the hands of Courtney Barnes.  The win was the seven-year-old’s first in New Zealand at his eleventh start in this country and second from Stephen Marsh’s Riccarton Park stable.  Bred in Great Britain SUMMER FESTIVAL started his career in Italy where he won six from nine starts including the Italian Derby a Group 2 event. He then went to Hong Kong in 2019 where he was winless in 21 starts before coming to New Zealand in 202/21.
• Canterbury Jockey Club Commercial Manager Chris Rowe was a satisfied man after ROYAL WINGS whom he races with his wife Christine staged a form reversal to win the Valachi Downs Rating 65.  Courtney Barnes was again the rider.
• Tina Comignaghi was leading rider on the day with three wins one of them aboard the ever-honest mare BENEFICIAL in the days feature the open handicap 1400 metres race.
• Matthew and Michael Pitman were the leading trainers with four wins two ridden by Comignaghi.