Blue Hen New Winner Starts Winning Roll for Forsman Stable

Media Release - Thursday April 4

Andrew Forsman commenced a big week of racing in winning fashion on both sides of the Tasman and out of his Cambridge stable, The Patron Saint raced to an impressive front-running win at Ruakaka on Wednesday to become the 12th winner from 12 foals to race from blue hen Imposingly.

The Patron Saint winning at Ruakaka on Wednesday.   Photo: Race Images

The Patron Saint winning at Ruakaka on Wednesday. Photo: Race Images

A promising son of Dissident, The Patron Saint flew his outside barrier draw under Joe Doyle and was never headed in the maiden three-year-old 1600m contest, with 2-1/2 lengths back to race favourite Mister Meaner.

“We’d given him a bit of a freshen-up, he was thereabouts last prep, but he was just a bit weak, so we put him aside and he’s come back a lot stronger,” Forsman said.

“It was nice to see him do that fresh-up. We hoped to see him win a race this week, then if he could, he could be a candidate for the Championship Stakes (Gr.3, 2100m) on the 20th (of April) at Ellerslie.”

The Patron Saint is a half-brother to NZ Horse of the Year Bonneval along with Group winners Lord Arthur, Imposing Lass, Full of Spirit, Lady Cumquat and stakes-winner The Frontman. 

After initially establishing his Victorian stable at Macedon Lodge, Forsman moved to Flemington earlier this year, and promising three-year-old Riproar recorded a dominant fresh-up victory for the stable at Geelong on Tuesday.

A winner on home soil as a two-year-old, Riproar added a second victory to his Australian record in a Benchmark 64 contest over 1340m, closing strongly under his 60kg impost.

“It was good to get him underway again after a long lay-up, after almost six months since he last raced. He didn’t quite hit his straps in the spring, I think it was all a little bit too much, too soon for him,” Forsman said.

“He’s come along really well after the break, and it was testing enough track for the distance there at Geelong.

“We’ll see how he comes through it, but there are a few Guineas options in the next couple of weeks. There is the Bendigo Guineas over 1400m next Saturday, but we may look to the Mornington Guineas over a mile on the 20th instead.”

Another Australian representative will resume on Saturday, with four-year-old Mr Maestro facing a stern task in the Gr.3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield.

Mr Maestro is lookjng to get back on track - image Grant Courtney

Mr Maestro is lookjng to get back on track - image Grant Courtney

The talented son of Savabeel has been successful at Listed and Group Three level across the Tasman, in a career hindered by soundness issues.

“He had a tendon injury in the autumn and we gave him a light spring, so now we’re hoping to get some runs into his legs and make plans after that,” Forsman said.

“It’s a very good field on Saturday and obviously we didn’t want him to resume in such a strong race, but there weren’t many options and he’s pretty much ready to go.

“It’s a matter of lining up and getting the run into him without too many expectations, but he is coming up well and we’re happy. It will be a hard run 1400m, hopefully he can settle back and run on well, and we can press on from there.”

Back in New Zealand, the rain forecast for the Wellington region is posing a query for Red Sea, as the impressive Pierata colt readies for the Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).

A decisive last-start winner over 1200m at Matamata, Red Sea will partner with regular rider Warren Kennedy in an attempt to dethrone all-conquering filly Velocious, among a string of other classy performers.

“It’s a big step-up in class, and the rain-affected track is an unknown, he hasn’t really been tried on what may become a Slow to Heavy track,” Forsman said. “The distance is also a query on a big track.

“He’s a horse that likes to jump and run, he was better with blinkers on last time, but it’s whether he can run out the 1400m in the track conditions at Trentham.”

A Forsman runner that will be undeterred by a downgrade in track conditions is White Noise, who will likely head to Trentham over the Open 1300m event at Pukekohe.

The El Roca five-year-old will aim to add to his three black-type victories in the Listed Bramco & Granite Flying Handicap (1400m) under an in-form Masa Hashizume.

“I’m probably leaning towards Trentham now with the rain forecasted, a bit of give in the track will help him and the weight he will carry (54.5kg). We’ll have to make a call on Wednesday whether we send him down or not,” Forsman said.

“He’s really well, we’ve given him a couple of trials and we’re happy with where he’s at.”

Also benefitting from a softening in the surface, Moonlight Magic and Wren will return to Trentham after finishing 6th and 11th in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) last month, this time to contest the Gr.3 Higgins Concrete Manawatu Classic (2100m).

“They both just got a long way out of their ground in the Oaks,” Forsman said.

“Moonlight Magic was probably the better of the two, her last 600m was good and we’ve put the blinkers on her to hopefully sharpen her up.

“Wren got a long way back in an awkward spot, and she’ll appreciate the smaller field on Saturday. The rain affected track will help both of them.”

Completing Forsman’s contingent will be Koheroa, a lightly-tried son of I Am Invincible attempting to build on a deserved maiden win in early January, which followed a second placing behind subsequent Group Three-winner Certainly.

“He’s a nice horse that’s always shown good ability,” he said.

“We gave him a break as we always thought he would be better with a bit more time, but he might be a bit of an unknown if the track gets too wet as well. It is a query for him fresh-up.

“We just want to test the waters against some of the better ones in his own age group, and he gets a nice chance to do that on Saturday.”

Koheroa will contest The Oaks Stud Premier (1200m) with Michael McNab aboard. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Race Result - Ruakaka Races - NZ's Best Bet In Winter Mdn 1600m

Ruakaka Track: Good(4) Time: 1:36.63
1
The Patron Saint
- 3g Dissident (AUS) x Imposingly (AUS) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: Andrew Forsman Rdr: Joe Doyle 57.5
2
2.5
Mister Meaner
- 3g Ocean Park (NZ) x Rekindled Glory (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: Ms S P Mynott Rdr: W B Kennedy 57.5
3
4.3
Vegas Lights
- 3f Sacred Falls (NZ) x Dazzling Heights (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: M & K Murdoch Rdr: L H Satherley 55.5
4
4.7
Egyptian Blue
- 3f Reliable Man (GB) x Make Me Strong (AUS) (Danehill (USA))
Tnr: S & E Clotworthy Rdr: V A Colgan 57.5
5
5.5
Storms Ahead
- 3g Astern (AUS) x Lakers Bay (AUS) (Magic Albert (AUS))
Tnr: S D Cole Rdr: C R Barnes 57.5
6
7
Haller
- 3g Satono Aladdin (JPN) x Highlight (NZ) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: Ms M L Bradley Rdr: M Cameron 57.5
7
13.1
Rozel
- 3f Proisir (AUS) x Trinity Hill (NZ) (Iffraaj (GB))
Tnr: C R Isdale Rdr: M J Mc Nab 55.5
More Reading...
A Torryburn Gasp Before their Plain Bay Fellow Wins G1 No 4
The Torryburn stud team, watching as they always do when their ‘plain bay fellow’ races, would have had a gasp or two mid race but it ended up as easy as it comes with Voyage Bubble making it three Group I wins from his last three starts in the Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday.
'I always thought he was a seven furlong, miler' - Ka Ying Rising Delivers
If we’re talking turf, Hong Kong can justifiably claim to have the best two horses in the world and Ka Ying Rising cemented his part in that brief with another powerful win in the Group I Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Wrote 3YO Impressive on Sunday
Bruce Wallbank describes Midnight Edition as his one-in-a-million horse and the exciting three-year-old gave the Pukekohe horseman plenty to cheer about on his home track on Sunday.
Sires With Winners - Sunday February 23
Here is the full list of 73 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Romantic Warrior Beaten in a Thriller – Watch the Richest Race in the World
The richest race in the world was run overnight at Riyadh with the $US20million Saudi Cup (1800m) on dirt delivering a thriller with James McDonald and the ‘Pride of Hong Kong’ Romantic Warrior (IRE) going down by half a length in an epic battle with Japanese raider Forever Young.
Talented Trapeze Artist Gelding Returns a Winner!
Winner of the Group III ATC Carbine Club Stakes last autumn as a colt, talented Trapeze Artist four year-old Ducasse returned to the races as a gelding at Rosehill on Saturday and quickly found his best form to win the Benchmark 100 event over 1400m.
Galileo Blueblood Wins G3 Parramatta Cup for Darby Racing
Scott Darby and his team at Darby Racing have a happy knack for finding real value at a sale and a blueblood three year-old Galileo colt they purchased from Coolmore at the 2022 Tattersalls Horse in Training for Sale for just 60,000 guineas looks very much a horse on the up.
Sires With Winners - Friday February 21
Here is the full list of 63 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Unbeaten 2YO Sunrays Leads Saturday Hellbent Metro Treble
Hellbent has been churning out the winners and had a metropolitan treble on Saturday with fleet footed two year-old filly Sunrays making it three wins on the trot when taking out the $125,000 BRC QTIS Jewel Prelude (1110m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Catalogue Updates From Weekend Stakes Racing
There have been some solid updates to yearling sale catalogues over the weekend from stakes racing including a filly at MM Adelaide that is now a half to a stakes winner, and the very promising West Of Swindon’s half-sister at Inglis Easter.