Go Racing and Thoroughbred News

Sun 09 Feb, 2025

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh’s phone will likely be ringing red-hot following the win of Go Racing’s Penman at Tauranga on Friday.

The $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) is fast approaching and many of the slot holders have yet to show their hand and select their contender, and Marsh believes the classy three-year-old, is the perfect candidate.

The son of Contributer finished runner-up in his first two outings last year before breaking through for his maiden win over 1400m at Te Rapa last month and showed his class on Friday when running out a dominant victor in the Aerocool Developments (1400m).

Jumping from the ace barrier in a small but competitive field, Penman began well under jockey George Rooke, who quickly handed up the lead to Gold Card, who kept an honest tempo up front, opening up several lengths on his rivals during the middle stages of the race.

Rooke didn’t panic and slowly reeled in their foe and took the lead at the turn in unison with stablemate Tardelli on the outside. The pair entered a dogfight down the straight, with Penman coming out on top in the closing stages to score by 2-3/4 lengths, with a further 7-1/2 lengths back to NZB Kiwi contender Domain Ace in third.

“I have just taken my phone off silent just in case a (NZB Kiwi) slot holder would like to ring,” Marsh quipped. “It was very impressive.

“He jumped nice, Gold Card, as I thought, wanted to really run along a bit, and he got a beautiful trail. It looked like it was going to be a bit of a titanic struggle with the two stablemates, but he was good in the end.”

While hopeful of gaining an NZB Kiwi berth with Penman, Marsh said both of his three-year-olds have bright futures.

“They are two very nice horses that are certainly going places,” he said.

Bred by Mapperley Stud’s Simms Davison, Penman was purchased by Toro Bloodstock out of the Book 1 Sale at Karaka in 2023, and he is raced by Toro Bloodstock Ltd and the Go Racing Penman Syndicate.

Go Racing’s Penman enters NZB Kiwi calculations
Tue 28 Jan, 2025

Go Racing’s European import Tajanis may get another stamp in his passport following his win in the Listed ATC Australia Day Cup (2400m) at Warwick Farm on Monday.

Go Racing’s General Manager Matt Allnutt confirmed that they are considering sending him to New Zealand, where they are based, for the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie on Champions Day (March 8).

“We are potentially going to target the Auckland Cup with him,” he said. “It looks a nice race to bring him out here to have a crack at.”

Sent out the $2.40 favourite, Tajanis jumped from barrier three with Zac Lloyd in the saddle. He settled in mid-field and travelled nicely throughout and came wide at the 300m to storm home and win strongly by three-quarters-of-a-length.

The Chris Waller-trained five-year-old has now won his last two races in succession and appears to be settling into life down under, having begun his career in the United Kingdom.

“He’s taken a while to adapt to Australian racing, but he’s really got it now, Allnutt said.

“He’s won two in a row now and he’s just getting better with more racing. His confidence is up and even though it was a narrow margin that he won by it was a very comfortable win, he was just so strong to and through the line.

“He’s certainly a horse that’s getting better with racing and he will just keep getting better with time and distance.”

By Epsom Derby winner Australia, Tajanis was purchased by Go Racing for 40,000 guineas at the 2023 Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale, as a one-win horse.

He has now won four and placed in five of his 16 starts and Monday’s win came at his first start in black-type company.

Auckland Cup on the radar for Tajanis