Phelan The Power returns to scale with rider, Jasmine Fawcett
- As the meeting on Thursday 19 January was shifted to Ashburton after Riccarton Park went through a renovation the meeting on Saturday 28 January was the first of 2023.
- Northern rider Jasmine Fawcett stole the show riding the winners of five of the nine races including bringing up her 200th career victory.
- WANNABE ‘N’ PARIS rallied strongly on the rail to win the Woodbourne Tavern & Motels Bottle-O Renwick Marlborough Cup. Whilst no longer having a racemeeting the committee of the Marlborough Racing Club support the continuation of their signature race here at Riccarton Park. The six-year-old old Paul Harris Trained mare recorded the eighth win of her career in the hands of Brandon May who rode a double on the day.
- Harris trained a double with RED SUNDAY winning the last on the day also ridden by Jasmine Fawcett.
- The days feature event was the Speight’s Timaru Stakes for the 1400 metres sprinters. Dual code trainer Mark Jones prepared PHELAN THE POWER to finish third in the Coupland’s Bakeries Mile at the NZ Cup Meeting. Whilst his form may have been a bit below par since the five-year-old bounced back to score the narrowest of wins for Jasmine Fawcett.
- The most popular winner on the day, specifically from CJC staff perspective, came about with MIA SORELLA’s commanding performance in the Kevin & Pam Hughes Rating 65. Part owner by Julie Walsh and raced with her three sisters the mare and rider Courtney Barnes returned to a very excited birdcage. In doing so she proved that performing on both the turf and Polytrack is achievable now having won on both surfaces and placed six times from only nine starts.
- Rangiora trainer John Blackadder also trained a brace of winners.