Futurity Winner with a Future for Pluck

Media Release - Monday May 27

Champion trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman produced another stakes winner by Pluck (USA) when Rhaegar landed the Auckland Futurity Stakes LR at long odds on Saturday.

 

Rhaegar - Trish DunnellRhaegar (2g Pluck – Grand Lady by Grandera) sprinted to the front a furlong out and then denied the late surge of his favoured stablemate Long Jack (So You Think) to score by a long-head over 1400m at Ellerslie.

 

"He's always shown plenty at home but has been difficult on race day," Baker said. "We added blinkers at the Waipa trials last Monday and he was genuine today. He's just beaten a serious horse and they both have good futures."

 

Baker & Forsman train out of Cambridge and their stable has been the launching pad for Pluck stakes winner Mongolian Wolf (ATC Frank Packer Plate Gr.3) and his Kiwi stakes performers Gasoline and Pluck That who were subsequently sold to Hong Kong.

 

Rhaegar was bred by Turangga Farm owner Stuart Ramsey and is named after a character in the hit series Game Of Thrones. His dam Grand Lady is a half-sister to Australian Oaks winner Rena's Lady Gr.1 and her final foal is a yearling colt by Vinery sire Casino Prince.

 

"I just had to steer him around and we were coasting the last bit," winning jockey Michael McNab declared. "Murray reckoned the heavy track was against him at New Plymouth last time.

 

"He was strong today and hard to pull up so there's definitely a bit of upside going forward to his three year-old season."

 

Pluck (More Than Ready) has had 5 winners from 6 to race in New Zealand and Vinery stands him for a $6,600 service fee (inc GST).

Advertisment
More Reading...
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.
Pluck's Life On The Wire a Class Above in Bow Mistress
The Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale has a wonderful ambassador in the $10,000 filly Life On The Wire.
2024 Melbourne Cup Barrier Draw
The all important barrier draw for the world’s richest handicap, the $8.5million Group I VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m) has been held for a field which contains horses bred in seven countries and trained in four.
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.
Pluck Star Set for Ramornie
Star Boy secured a start in black-type company with an on-pace victory in the Aberdeen Cup(1280m) on Sunday.
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.
South African Win for Monsieur Gustave Half-Brother
The Greyville meeting in South Africa on Wednesday produced an interesting winner with the half-brother to in-form stakes-winning sprinter Monsieur Gustave opening his account.
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.
Kiwi Juvenile Stakes-Winner for Pluck
The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stable were expected to play a prominent role in Saturday’s Listed Piazza D’Oro Auckland Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie, with five runners down to contest the two-year-old feature.
Bravo Centurion - How Good is He?
Ridden by Chris Parnham for Luke Fernie, Bravo Centurion stretched his winning run to six, making every post a winner to defeat Saloon Bar (Sessions) by a long three and three-quarter lengths with Crippalenko (Maschino) a half-length back in third.