Brothers Close Up and Seventh Up banked travel
expenses for their upcoming southern venture when they posted a winning double
at Tauranga to add to their family's proud roll of honour.
The former took top honours under Grant Cooksley in the Chesters Plumbing and
Bathroom Handicap before the veteran jockey guided the year younger Seventh Up
to victory in the Gartshore Construction 1600.
The siblings by Shinko King are trained at Cambridge by their co-breeder,
part-owner and trainer Shelley Hale, who has enjoyed wonderful success with
their mother Regelle.
The daughter of Exploding Prospect, who won four times herself, has been a
broodmare gem with seven of her eight foals to race having been successful.
They include the Gr.1 Hong Kong Classic Mile winner Thumbs Up.
"She's in foal to Burgundy and she's about three or four weeks away from
foaling," Hale said.
"Fortunately, we got a Tavistock filly out of her last season, which was an
amazing result."
The six-year-old Seventh Up has now won five of his 11 starts and he was the
big shortener in the market for next month's Gr.2 Coupland's Bakeries Mile at
Riccarton. He has been cut from $21 to $7.50.
Travelling companion Close Up has now won seven times with his Tauranga success
coming off the back of a runner-up finish at Pukekohe Park.
"He's older now and he's taken a bit longer to get fit," Hale said.
Close Up settled off the pace and he let down strongly in the straight to win
going away by two and a quarter lengths and Seventh Up produced a similar
performance to post a length and a quarter margin. – NZ Racing Desk.