Super Saturday for Go Racing
Successful syndicators Go Racing celebrated a big day of racing on Saturday with two winners in New Zealand, one at stakes level, a Group Two-placing and a winner in Australia.
Exciting filly Atishu made it back-to-back stakes wins, four wins in a row and claimed the NZB Southern Filly of the Year title with an emphatic win in the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton Park.
The three-year-old Stephen Marsh-trained filly jumped well from barrier two but was quickly eased back to last by jockey Kozzi Asano when she threw her head around.
“That wasn’t the plan,” Go Racing Manager Albert Bosma said. “We would have liked her to use her draw and be a bit handier.
“I was a bit worried at the 300m mark but then as soon as Kozzi gave her one behind the saddle she just exploded.
“The thing about her is that she’s got a great turn of foot which means she can get up and win even when she looks like beaten.”
Atishu crossed the line one-and-three-quarter lengths clear of second placed Exquisite Pearl and third placed Larpower.
Albert said the daughter of Savabeel would now return to Cambridge for a few days rest at the Karapiro farm Go Racing own in partnership with Marsh Racing before a decision is made on a trip across the Tasman.
“The whole team wants to take her to Queensland for a crack at the Queensland Oaks (Gr.1, 2200m) but we won’t make a decision on that until she’s had a few days off and we’ve assessed her,” Albert said.
“The way that she’s put away these quality fields at her last three starts she could be anything, the sky is the limit for her.
“The 2200m would be perfect for her and she doesn’t need to sit at the back of the field it’s just been circumstantial that she has done that so far. She would need a lead up race first but whether that’s here or in Australia would be determined by the flight schedule.”
Atishu is raced by the Go Racing Ring A Ring Syndicate, many of whom were on track to ecelebrate Saturday’s win.
Bred by Waikato Stud, Atishu is a daughter of Posy, a sister of multiple Group One winner Daffodil. She was purchased by Go Racing for $260,000 from Waikato Stud’s 2019 NZB Book 1 draft at Karaka.
Earlier in the day at Riccarton the Go Racing silks were to the fore when juvenile Art De Triomphe was successful in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race Two-Year-Old (1000m).
Ridden by Kylie Williams for trainer Andrew Carston, Art De Triomphe jumped quickly from barrier one and led, hugging the inside rail.
“She was in the worst part of the track and everything else on the inside stopped but she kept kicking and she didn’t let anything pass her in the last 50m,” Albert said.
Art De Triomphe was having just her second career start but had earned favouritism with an impressive run for third when green on debut at the end of March.
“Her first up run was impressive but yesterday was even better because she’s learned so much, so quickly,” Bosma said.
“She’s progressed really well and she’s a very promising filly, what she’s doing at two-years-old is very exciting because she’s only going to get better as she develops into a three-year-old.”
Art De Triomphe will have one more start this preparation in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton Park in a fortnight with her long-range goal the Gr.1 1000 Guineas next season.
Raced by the Go Racing Beatles syndicate, Art De Triomphe is the first southern hemisphere winner for her Group One winning sire Vadamos who shuttles to Rich Hill Stud.
“We’ve got a big opinion of Vadamos,” Albert said. “We’ve bought a couple of them and we really like his stock. We bought a filly by him out of the NZB South Island Sale earlier this month and she’s already 95 percent sold.”
Art De Triomphe is out of Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) winner Art Beat and she was purchased by Go Racing out of Seaton Park’s 2020 NZB Book 1 draft for $80,000.
“She’s from a great international family and her siblings go well so we were always confident we would have a pretty nice horse,” Bosma said.
At Ellerslie, the Stephen McKee-trained Hasabro justified his place in the Gr.2 Manco Easter Handicap (1600m) with a gritty performance to finish second.
“It was a little bit of a throw at the stumps but gee he was brave,” Albert said. “He was well out of the handicap and we couldn’t get a jockey at 52kgs, so Sam Spratt rode him a kilo over.”
The son of Savabeel, jumped well and led until the 150m mark, when he was run down by the winner, Demonetization.
Albert said Hasabro would likely have his final run of this preparation in the open 1800m race at New Plymouth in three-week’s time before being aimed at the Gr.2 Couplands Bakeries Mile (1600m) in spring.
Hasabro is a brother to Go Racing’s Group One winner Hasahalo, their three-year-old half-sister, All Hallow’s Eve was also successful on Saturday in the Gr.3 J H B Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
Further success for Go Racing came across the Tasman where Stardome (Savabeel) won the Caleb Elder Benchmark 90 Handicap (2200m) with former New Zealand-based rider Mark Du Plessis in the saddle.
“He was excellent yesterday,” said Albert. “He was dropping from 59.5kgs to 54kgs and that was the key.
“He always hits a flat spot around the 500m mark but then he picked up and he was really strong to the line and he beat a good field. He will step up to 2400 metres next start and there are some nice staying races over the Queensland Carnival for him.”
The six-time race winner was bred by Richard Moore, Stardome is a descendant of famous Soliloquy family. He was purchased by Go Racing out of Haunui Farm’s 2017 NZB Premier Yearling Sale draft for $135,000.