Another Winning Weekend
It was a stellar weekend for the Go Racing runners with two wins and two seconds.
Prince Mambo scored a great win in the Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Association Mile. Jockey Darryl Bradley took an aggressive approach from the outset with Mambo setting up a strong pace to lead the whole way and hold off the challengers impressively to the line. Trainer Stephen McKee, currently in Ireland on holiday, had done the hard yards and left his stable in the capable hands of up and coming foreman, his father Trevor McKee.
Prince Mambo has now won three of his last six starts and we will carefully consider the next race for him, which could be back in stakes grade.
Passing Shot was another horse from Stephen’s stables to deliver some thrills in his absence. At Te Rapa he jumped first out of the gates and went to the lead under Alysha Collet’s ride. He was just gunned down in the straight by a wide-running, Splurge. It was a brave effort as he was taken on in the running and the track was a little wetter than he likes. It is great to see him re-discover his fighting qualities, which have returned since being gelded.
But, perhaps the most satisfying ride of the weekend was the maiden win for four-year-old Sharp Elle and the Rockette syndicate at Blenheim yesterday over 1950 metres. Jockey Terry Moseley hunted her up to the front from the start and sat her outside the leader. When the speed came on in the straight she took the lead and held off the other contenders right to the line. The win backed up a second placing for the pair on the first day of the meeting. Says trainer Andrew Carston “She has finally matured and good tracks and over ground is obviously her go. I’m thrilled with this result.”
As were syndicate members Ian and Jane Patterson and Tim and Sue Pankhurst who’ve had a bottle of French champagne waiting for her first win. Their patience has been rewarded!