Welcome to the new year, I hope 2011 is as good or better than 2010 to you all.
December has been fairly quiet in the lead up to Christmas with only 3 horses presenting to the races.
The first of these was at Counties on the 1st December where Stag Partee lined up in the Maiden 1600m. Once again he did a fair bit wrong, and raced greenly, not making ground in the straight.
On 11th December Riomoral lined up in the Rating 90 1200m hoping to make amends from his failure at Otaki. He accomplished this well, by jumping from the outside barrier and sitting up outside the leader. The two leaders then fought it out up the straight with Riomoral gaining the advantage and winning by a head from Colorado who was carrying 6 ½ kg less than he was. There was another 2 ¾ lengths back to the third placed horse.
21st December had a team of 3 horses lining up at the Te Aroha trials.
Palraf (Bahhare/Dora’s Dynasty) Mdn 1000m sat back and finished off well for 2nd.
Weewilliewinkie – Mdn 1200 – Ran a really nice trial for 3rd, to set him up nicely for first up run over 1600m
Lydian Prince – Mdn 1000 - Needed the outing for fitness and racing manners but finished nice 4th.
22nd December saw Stag Partee back at the races, this time at Matamata in the Mdn 2000m. Matt Cameron took up the reins and jumped him away from the gates well. Stag Partee pulled hard during the race but was able to keep going and made up ground finishing a nice 4th.
The start of January saw Riomoral back at the races, this time at Hastings on the 1st January for an Opn 1200m. Once again he drew out wide at the barriers and there were a couple of lightweighted runners in the race that put the pace on up front right from the jump. Riomoral settled back a little further than he usually enjoys but finished off the race well for 3rd, only missing out on 2nd by a head. The winner was an Australian import who has won 9 races, including black type, prior to coming to New Zealand. At this stage Riomoral is on track for trying to gain a start in the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap at Trentham on the 22nd January.
On the same card Weewilliewinkie started in the Mdn 1600m race. At nomination time he was unlikely to make the field and there was a lack of riders riding at Hastings due to the big meeting being held at Ellerslie on the same day. When he made the field, most riders were already booked and in the end Jeremy Walsh took the ride. Unfortunately Weewilliewinkie finished well beaten, but he did try and run on strongly in the straight. The run is best discounted and seen as a trial outing instead.
7th January at Rotorua had Stag Partee in the Mdn 1950m, this time ridden by Mark Sweeney (as Matt Cameron was suspended). Once again he went a very nice race for 5th, this time settling nicely and winding around them from the 600m. It looks like he still lacks the bit of strength required to really finish off his races well, but he is shaping into a very nice staying type.
On the same card Palraf was due to have his first start in the Mdn 1400m, but for reasons unknown, he decided to try and jump over the front of the gates and was late scratched after getting himself caught up in them. He has had several jumpouts and 3 trials without ever giving us cause for concern in the gates, but for whatever reason everything went wrong at Rotorua. Luckily he came out with mainly superficial wounds and we will go back to the drawing board, and another trial before once again trying him at the races. He is a talented type, and if he did everything right we thought he could have a good chance of winning.