Go Racing celebrate another trans-Tasman double
Go Racing continued a brilliant season with another trans-Tasman double on Saturday.
Progressive stayer Starrybeel got the ball rolling in the Dunstan Feeds Championship Qualifier (2200m) at Te Aroha.
Under a determined ride from Michael McNab, the Go Racing Rock Star-owned runner settled just better than midfield from barrier four, relaxing well before obliging when asked at the top of the straight before fighting off a wall of three contenders to win by 1.3 lengths.
“He’s come back super,” said Go Racing’s Albert Bosma. “I think he’s back to the form he was in when he won the Dunstan Stayers’ Final in 2019.”
The Stephen Marsh-trained son of Savabeel will get the chance to add further staying credentials to his resume with Albert confirming he will be pressing on to the Gr.3 Skycity City of Auckland Cup (2400m) on New Year’s Day.
“He’ll probably have one more run before then and we’ll work that out over the next little while,” he said.
“We certainly think he can knock off a cups race over summer. He’s relatively lightly raced and he has loads of ability so we’re really excited about him.
Across the Tasman Lord Ardmore was also a cause of great excitement.
Formerly trained by Stephen McKee, the four-year-old son of Reliable Man transferred to the Sydney stable of champion trainer Chris Waller when McKee retired.
He picked up his second win in three starts, having finished second last start, in the Elite Haulage Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill.
Under a superb ride by apprentice jockey Tom Sherry, Lord Ardmore jumped and led from barrier one, set the tempo and then bolted away to win by 1.73 lengths.
“It was a terrific win, he began nice, he got a couple of easy sectionals early and he got into a beautiful tempo,” said Tom.
“As the tempo increased, he just felt bigger in this stride, he really attacked the line and got home strongly.”
Albert said that while the decision to send Lord Ardmore to Australia was forced, it had worked out for the best.
“He was just handicapped out of racing in New Zealand unfortunately,” said Albert. “He was a one-win horse in open class so we were forced to send him to Australia, but it’s turned out to be the best decision we could have ever made.
“He’s picked up another win in a A$130,000 race today and he’s just flying. He’s going to win a lot of money and be very successful in Australia and I wouldn’t put it past him becoming a cups horse over there either.”
In the short-term Lord Ardmore will run in a Benchmark 88 race over 2000m in three weeks’ time, where he will likely carry 57kgs and be very hard to beat again.
Stablemate Mightybeel was also very impressive, stepping up to stakes company for the first time and finishing second to wet track specialist Polly Grey in the Listed ATC Cup (2000m) in the heavy10 track conditions.
“He’s gone enormous again today,” said jockey Tommy Berry. “It was his first time in this grade and he acquitted himself very well.
“I thought he was the winner at the top of the straight. He just got beaten by a more superior wet tracker that’s all.”
Albert agreed that the track conditions were his only fault.
“It was a great run today and he was just beaten by the wet track,” he said.
“He likes a firm track and it was just his class that got him so close today.”
Mightybeel will now either go to the B88 2000m worth A$130k on December 18 or the Gr.3 Summer Cup (2000m) worth $160,000 on Boxing Day.
“We’ll have to have a think about where he goes but I think he’s got a massive future in Australia and he’s certainly a cups horse for the future.
Go Racing’s other runner at Rosehill was the European import Mubariz who capped of a great day for the team with a fresh up fifth placing I the Gr.3 Petaluma Festival Stakes (1500m).
“He’s come up really well,” said Albert. “His next run will be in the Group Two Villiers Stakes over 1600m in two weeks and while on today’s run a mile seems too short for him with a very low weight you certainly shouldn’t count him out.”
The Gr.3 Summer Cup is also on the radar for Mubariz, another of Go Racing’s very successful European imports.
Click here for the replay of Starrybeel’s win.
Click here for the replay of Lord Ardmore’s win.
Photo: Lord Ardmore, Bradley photos.