Cambridge Stud Owned Mare Wins $350,000 Rangitoto Classic

Media Release - Sunday March 3

Rider Masa Hashizume enjoyed one of his best days in the saddle when he claimed a winning treble at Ellerslie, including an impressive victory aboard Jaarffi in the newly minted $350,000 Rangitoto Classic (1500m).

Jaarffi winning the inaugural $350,000 Rangitoto Classic (1500m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

The Classic is another in a series of innovative special events around the country this season, with this contest for horses from stables where their trainer sat outside of the Top 10 in prizemoney at midnight 30 November 2023.

Prepared by Lance Noble at Karaka for Cambridge Stud couple Brendan and Jo Lindsay, who also bred her, the talented but enigmatic mare came with a sustained finish for Hashizume to down Central Districts visitor Town Cryer and race favourite Pour The Wine.

Advertisement

Noble admitted the team had taken a punt with the four-year-old daughter of Iffraaj, who has been a work in progress since making her debut in March last year.

“She hasn’t been the easiest mare to train, and she can be pretty difficult during her trackwork,” Noble said.

“She has a lot of ability and is still learning and I did think today might have been a little bit of a bridge too far, but Brendan said have a go and we did.

“Masa rode her so well as she tries to do everything at one hundred miles an hour and can fight the rider but today, with the speed on, she could relax and when she does, she can get home, which she did.

“We had a look at these races (Rangitoto Classic) and we tried to target them but thought maybe it was too soon for her and we had the option to drop back to her own rating, but she has done a terrific job.

“I think next year we will see the best of her and she is definitely up to black type level.”

Hashizume sported a smile a mile long as he accepted congratulations after the victory.

“That’s just unbelievable,” he said.

“It just worked out well from the barrier as she didn’t have to do anything and travelled beautifully relaxed.

“I knew she had a better sprint that Warren’s horse (jockey Warren Kennedy aboard Pour The Wine) and it worked out well.

“I was confident from the corner and I knew she could run home in good time.”

Hashizume had taken the first race on the card aboard Gentian Blue before scoring on Positivity in the Gr.3 McKee Family Sunline Vase (2100m), ahead of his victory on Jaarffi.

The $175,000 first prize for the race has significantly boosted the career earnings for Jaarffi who has now won three of her eight starts and $228,000 in prizemoney.

Out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Pride Of Tralee, Jaarffi is closely related to the Australian champion three-year-old filly and triple Group One winner Serenade Rose and dual Group One winner Trekking. - LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
Antrim Coast to Fly Flag for The Oaks Stud
The well-renowned colours of The Oaks Stud will feature across two feature Trans-Tasman meetings this week, kicking off with Antrim Coast lining up in the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.
Melbourne Cup Winner for Extreme Choice – Rare Slice of History
This year’s $8.5million Group I VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m) produced a genuinely amazing fairytale result for the connections of five year-old Extreme Choice gelding Knight’s Choice, but part of that fairytale is his sire Extreme Choice, who has carved out something seriously special as being only the second sire in history to produce the winner of a Golden Slipper and a Melbourne Cup.
Coolmore Announce Euro 2025 Fees
Coolmore have announced fees for their 20 strong European sire roster with three new additions City of Troy (Justify), Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact)and Henry Longfellow (Dubawi) and a significant increase for Wootton Bassett, who is currently in Australia.
Magic Nick Strikes Again – Fastnet Rock x Galileo
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo nick has been on fire in Melbourne this spring producing Cox Plate winner Via Sistina (IRE) and leading Melbourne Cup contender Buckaroo (GB) and it struck again overnight in the UK with a brand new stakes-winner in Military Academy, who captured the Listed Floodlit Stakes (1m4f) at Kempton.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
Coolmore Set Justify Fee for 2025
Coolmore have announced the US fee for Justify in 2025 with the undefeated Triple Crown winner priced at $US250,000 to head  their roster of 16 stallions at Ashford Stud in Kentucky.