Belardo Boy Only Winner as Trentham Abandoned

Media Release - Saturday December 4

The Lisa Latta-trained Belardo Boy made the most of an abbreviated race meeting at Trentham on Saturday when he stormed to victory in the opening event.

 Danielle Johnson guides Belardo Boy to victory at Trentham Photo: Race Images – Peter Rubery

The Lisa Latta-trained three-year-old took advantage of a rails-hugging ride by Danielle Johnson to produce a powerful home straight sprint which saw him collar the pace-making Lady Koval in the shadows of the post to register his second career victory.

Fears for the meeting quickly became apparent as the jockeys returned to scale, with video replays showing the Mike Breslin-rained Son Of Thunder slipping badly at the start, whilst Cambridge visitor Regazzo almost came to grief during the running as he struggled to keep his feet on the home turn.

Drizzly rain overnight and throughout Saturday morning had seen the track downgraded to an official Dead5 rating to start the day, but once stipendiary stewards had spoken with jockeys after the first event, the decision was taken to abandon the rest of the meeting in the interest of safety and the welfare of both horse and rider.

Johnson had been reluctant to comment about the track during a post-race interview, preferring to focus on the effort by her mount.

Advertisement

“I was counting the dollars at the top of the straight when they all began rolling off the fence,” she said.

“He has been a horse that has taken some time, as he had been a bit green when I had ridden him in the past.

“He really pinged off the surface today when I asked him to sprint.”

Following the abandonment, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing announced that the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) would now be run at Te Rapa on Saturday 11 December, while the other feature race, the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) will also be run at that meeting as a replacement for the 2YO SWP 1200m event that had been programmed.

Regazzo’s trainer Shaune Ritchie was involved in the aftermath of the race and was adamant that the Industry has plenty of work to do in the area of presenting a safe racing surface during the summer months.

“It is certainly disappointing in what has occurred due to an issue that has been around in our Industry for a number of years now,” he said.

“I think we all understand that the goal is to ensure racing goes ahead, but when these circumstances occur with abandonments due to a slippery surface there doesn’t seem to be any long term follow up to fix the problem.

“I have no qualms with the outcome today as it was clearly unsafe to race with the hard base underneath the grass cover making it very slippery.

“I feel for the owners and people involved as the costs for things like float fees, personal travel and accommodation are substantial and the majority of prizemoney has gone up in smoke.

“The onus has to be on our governance structures to do more in this area to get it right.”

Ritchie was complimentary of the work of raceday officials and the decisions they made in dealing with the abandonment.

“I think the decision to not try and race tomorrow (Sunday) is the right one as any remedial work undertaken alters the surface quite radically and the issue of potential joint and muscle injuries for the horses comes into play,” he said.

“We wouldn’t have run our other two horses that were in and I would think the fields would have been decimated with other trainers thinking the same way.

“When the stewards indicated the two feature races would be going to Te Rapa, I thought it was the right idea to try and maintain the fields as best they could.

“What we need now is the right decisions around the long-term fix as we have a multi-million-dollar industry that keeps shooting itself in the foot, which is to the detriment of those investing their hard-earned in it.

“Quite simply, we have to do better.”

Ritchie reported that Regazzo had pulled up well and would likely step up in distance shortly as he targets a start in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie in March. - NZ Racing Desk

 

Advertisment

Race Result - Tab Bonus Back Blitz 3yo 1400m

Trentham Track: Dead(5) Time: 1:24.82
1
Belardo Boy
- 3g Belardo (IRE) x L'amour (NZ) (Towkay (AUS))
Tnr: Ms L Latta Rdr: D S Johnson 57.5
2
1.0
Lady Koval
- 3f American Pharoah (USA) x To Please A Lady (AUS) (Fasliyev (USA))
Tnr: M Baker & A Forsman Rdr: C J Grylls 55.5
3
1.8
Blissful Belle
- 3f Belardo (IRE) x Elusive Bliss (NZ) (Elusive City (USA))
Tnr: J G Bary Rdr: L J Allpress 54
4
2.6
Regazzo
- 3c Tavistock (NZ) x Our Kismet (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: S Ritchie & C Murray Rdr: R T Elliot 56
5
3.4
Taoiseach
- 3g Highly Recommended (AUS) x Borntobeirish (AUS) (O'Reilly (NZ))
Tnr: Craig & Shaun Phelan Rdr: R H Schofer 56.5
6
4.7
Bean A Pleasure
- 3g Spill The Beans (AUS) x Japonica (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: G R Vile Rdr: R J Hannam 56
7
5.5
Midnight Mass
- 3g Proisir (AUS) x Midnight Gossip (NZ) (Showcasing (GB))
Tnr: N W Tiley Rdr: L G Innes 57.5
8
6.3
Prioress
- 3f Proisir (AUS) x Shahbab (NZ) (Bertolini (USA))
Tnr: Ms L Latta Rdr: S J Macnab 54
9
7.8
Tui Rocks
- 3f El Roca (AUS) x Lola Beetle (AUS) (Snippetson (AUS))
Tnr: G D Innes Rdr: D G Bradley 55.5
10
10.3
Dragon Biscuit
- 3g Choisir (AUS) x Dawning Light (FR) (Siyouni (FR))
Tnr: M Moroney & P Gerard Rdr: M J Mc Nab 57.5
11
12.6
Organised Chaos
- 3f Rock 'n' Pop (AUS) x Pin Oak (SAF) (Fort Wood (USA))
Tnr: G R Smith Rdr: K R Hercock 54
12
12.8
Blue Rata Boldness
- 3g The Bold One (NZ) x Blue Rata Jewel (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: Ms T Keegan Rdr: L T Hemi 56
13
17.8
Themoonstoodstill
- 3f Iffraaj (GB) x Blueberry Hill (NZ) (City On A Hill (USA))
Tnr: C A Bambry Rdr: C L O'Beirne 53
14
22.3
Game Night
- 3f Power (GB) x Night Fever (NZ) (Duelled (AUS))
Tnr: Team Rogerson Rdr: B D Rogerson 52.5
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Friday November 1
Here is the full list of 45 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Bella Now Second Highest Ever Australian Stakes Earner
Seven year-old Pride of Dubai mare Bella Nipotina bounced out of her Everest win two weeks ago to claim another lucrative prize when scoring a scintillating victory in the $3million ATC Russell Balding Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Speed is What Sells
There are two Group I events for three year-olds at Flemington on Saturday and both are worth $2million, but the profile of the horses engaged, many of them being colts, couldn’t be more different starting with their purchase price.
Sires With Winners - Saturday November 2
Here is the full list of 137 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Switzerland Wins the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes for Coolmore
After Coolmore’s $875,000 I Am Invincible colt Home Affairs captured the Coolmore Stud Stakes in 2021, it was the turn of the $1,500,000 Snitzel colt Switzerland to do the sponsor proud in the $2,000,000 Group 1 feature at Flemington on Saturday.
Back to Back Victoria Derby Winners for Triple Crown Hero American Pharoah
The Watson family owned South Australian nursery Mill Park is a name synonymous with serious Group I horses and in particular those bred by astute breeder Harry Perks and this winning association struck for a third time in the $2million Group I VRC Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday when Goldrush Guru saluted to join previous winners they have produced in Rebel Raider and Warning.
Invincible Mares Quinella G3 Furphy Sprint
The first foal of triple Group I winning mare Shoals, blueblood I Am invincible mare Isthmus has been threatening to win a stakes race this year and got the job done when charging clear to score a dominant victory in the Group III VRC Furphy Sprint (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday over another I Am Invincible mare in Kundalini.
Cambridge Stud News and New Website
Cambridge Stud have been on a winning roll and have just launched their exciting new website.
Wootton Bassett Colt Wins G1 Breeders Cup Turf Juvenile Colts
The worldwide winning wave of juvenile winners for Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett rolled into Del Mar in North America on Friday when talented colt Henri Matisse claimed victory in the Group I Breeders’ Cup Turf Juvenile (1m).
William Haggas Trained Lake Forest Triumphs in Golden Eagle
William Haggas is playing his part in keeping the UK economy afloat, taking home a further $5,250,000 after Lake Forest (GB) won an action-packed James Squire Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill.