Star Fastnet Rock Mare Avantage Wins Trial

Media Release - Wednesday August 12

Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards had a strong contingent at the Taupo trials on Wednesday and he came away pleased with how his team performed.

Multiple Group One winner Avantage won her 1100m heat in the hands of Opie Bosson and Richards said she is on target for the Gr.2 Valachi Downs Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa next month.

Avantage winning her 1100m trial at Taupo on Wednesday. Photo: Race Images

“She is coming up really nicely,” he said. “She is a good mare. Opie was really pleased with how she felt and she is on track to head to the Foxbridge and then the first couple of legs at Hastings.

“We have got a little bit of time to fill between now and then, but she is coming up really nicely and we are pleased with where she is at.”

Stablemate Scott Base ran on well to finish fourth in the same heat and he too is destined to follow the same path.

Advertisement

“Scott Base trialled really nicely as well,” Richards said. “He trialled really well at Te Rapa a couple of weeks ago and he is coming up well.

“He appreciates the better ground and does go to another level with the blinkers on.”

In an earlier trial Richards was represented by Group One performers In A Twinkling and Prise De Fer and he was happy enough with their unplaced runs.

“I thought In A Twinkling trialled really nicely,” he said. “He is a horse who has had a few little problems. We gave him a good long spell after he let us down in the Waikato Cup (Gr.3, 2400m).

“He seems to have come back well. He will trial again and then we will find a suitable race to kick him off in and hopefully end up in the 2000m race at Hastings on the last day.

“Prise De Fer also trialled well. If anything he looks like he might be a little more settled this year. I am looking forward to getting the blinkers back on him on race day, but Opie (Bosson, jockey) was happy with the way he felt.

“He will go to the Foxbridge first up and then the first couple of legs at Hastings and then he may head back for the third one. We will just get through these first couple of runs and make a plan.”

Group Two winner Aotea Lad and Group One performer Vernazza had an exhibition gallop over 800m at Taupo on Wednesday and Richards said they are both on track for their respective targets.

“Aotea Lad was a pretty good two-year-old and just struggled to find his form as a three-year-old,” Richards said.

“He has trialled a couple of times and just needed another hit-out and he will go off to the races shortly.

“Vernazza is a very nice filly who is owned by Cambridge Stud and she is bound for Sydney next Monday.

“She will trial the week after that on the 25th (of August) and all going well she will follow a similar path to what Probabeel did last spring. Two runs into the Flight Stakes (Gr.1, 1600m), all going well.” – NZ Racing Desk

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
$1.3million Snitzel Colt Ready to Fire on Debut for Te Akau
Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are confident they have the young firepower to make an early impression in the first of the black type features at Pukekohe Park on Saturday.
Winx Foals a Snitzel Colt
The owners of Winx have announced the champion mare has foaled a healthy colt by Snitzel early on Monday morning.
One to Watch – Canberra
At the 2023 Magic Millions Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast US investors Richard and Tammy Rigney of Rigney Racing purchased two yearling fillies by I Am Invincible for $2million and $1.2million and got a result with one of them in Canberra on Sunday.
Sires With Winners - Saturday November 23
Here is the full list of 117 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Prima Park Perfect Clearance at Ready to Run
Prima Park has accrued an enviable record with their New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale graduates, and farm principal Kelly Van Dyk is hoping they can add another to that list from their 2024 draft.
Yulong Announce Sad Passing of G1 Winning Mare
Yulong released a video Tweet last week recapping their sensational spring carnival results and also revealing the passing of their dual Group I winning Frankel mare Hungry Heart.
Kiwi Vendor Celebrating Sales and Racetrack Success
Vendor Barry Donoghue enjoyed a lucrative two days at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale last week and he’s now celebrated a significant result in another role.
New French Stakes-Winner for Churchill
Currently finishing his seventh season of shuttling to Coolmore Australia, Churchill has had a productive year and sired his 16th stakes-winner of 2024 when progressive three year-old filly Some Skye landed the Listed Grand Prix de Fontainebleau (1900m) at Chantilly.
Cambridge Stud News
It’s been the spring that keeps giving for Cambridge Stud and it’s not over yet.
Aussie Mare Youngstar Produces Exciting Japanese G3 Winner
Australian Group I winning half-sisters Youngstar and Funstar are both at stud in Japan and the former has a very smart two year-old colt in Eri King, who made it three wins from three starts when taking out the Group III Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nissai Stakes (2000m) on Saturday.