September 3 Raceday
Spring racing underway in style
- STARVOIA takes bragging rights amongst southern fillies into the NZ Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes on Saturday 17 September with a dominant win in the ‘gavelhouse.com Three-year-old’. Strong runs were recorded by ZIGWIG, LA DIOSA and WISE ACT all suggesting that they will appreciate the increase in distance from 1000 metres to 1200 metres and be genuinely competitive in the listed stakes race.
- Wingatui trained PRINCESS BROOK land a big ‘All-up’ bet when winning the Christchurch Casino Rating 85 under a typical ‘get up when it matters’ ride from C W Johnson. The punter whose ‘All-up’ saw him with $4,500 riding on the race must have had his heart in his mouth before the short head decision. After ‘opening’ at $1.20 the Terry Kennedy trained mare eventually paid $2.40 for the win dividend.
- The shortest price favourite on the day was FIRST SERVE who paid a paltry $1.40 which, along with her dominant open handicap win in the New Zealand Bloodstock sprint, reinforced the tremendous ability and class that the possesses.
- Riccarton Park trainer Matthew Pitman recorded wins 98, 99 and 100 with MAHER MOMENT, FIRST SERVE and NIGHT NURSE. One imagines that making the feat all the more special was that he had been in charge of putting the final preparations on a strong team as his father and senior training partner Michael had been overseas in the fortnight prior to the races. The day also gave the stable a very healthy start in the Prydes Easifeed Trainers Challenge over the Spring Meetings.
- Riding honours on the day went the way of the ‘master’ Chris Johnson and the ‘heir apparent’ Samantha Wynne who both rode three winners.
