NZ Racing News

Multiple Group One winner Atishu will bid to have a fairytale ending to her racing career when she heads to Randwick on Saturday to contest the Gr.1 Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m).

The daughter of Savabeel, who is raced by New Zealand syndicator Go Racing, will bid to add a fourth Group One crown to her record, and second in the race, before she is offered through Magic Millions’ Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale next month.

“It will be a day of mixed emotions with this being her swansong,” Go Racing General Manager Matt Allnutt said. “It brings the curtain down on what has been a fantastic career. There have been a lot of friendships formed (within her syndicate) and we have all really enjoyed the ride.”

The Queen of the Turf holds fond memories for her connections, having won the race two years ago before finishing runner-up in last year’s running, and she will reunite with 2023 winning hoop Nash Rawiller this weekend in the hope of a fairytale ending.

“Nash rode her in this race two years ago when she won it. She drew barrier one on that day and she has drawn barrier two on Saturday,” Allnutt said.

“She loves the race and she races well at Randwick. Chris (Waller, trainer) is more than happy with her, dropping back to the 1600m suits, and I think the race maps well for her.

“Fairytales do happen in racing and let’s hope we see another one on Saturday.”

Go Racing’s silks will also feature at Randwick in the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m), with Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) runner-up Tajanis set to jump from barrier 19 on Saturday for trainer Chris Waller, who is still in search of a jockey for the gelding who will carry a featherweight of 50kg.

“He came through the Auckland Cup well and he was probably unlucky not to have won on that day,” Allnutt said. 

“He got back to Australia and never turned a hair, he maintained a good appetite and his work has been good. 

“He had an exhibition gallop last week and worked really nicely. Chris is more than happy with him going into the race, but he is obviously going to need luck from that draw.

“He is going to get back, but he warms into his races the further he goes and once he is relaxed and settled he will travel along nicely and then it’s a matter of building into the race at the right time and hopefully have him in a challenging position at the top of the straight.”

Atishu is currently sitting at $6 with TAB bookmakers for her raceday swansong, behind Fangirl ($2.25) and Stefi Magnetica ($5.50), while Tajanis is rated a $26 winning prospect.

Back in New Zealand, Go Racing is looking forward to a potential Australian campaign with last season’s New Zealand Champion juvenile Velocious, who returned to her form of old when winning first-up following a wind operation at Te Aroha last month.

“I was that nervous ahead of that race,” Allnutt said of the Stephen Marsh-trained filly. “We had Atishu in a Group One on the same day, but I was more nervous about Velocious. Her trials pointed that she had come back well, but you just never know until raceday.

“To see her building in the straight and putting in those long strides was just so pleasing. We are thrilled to have her back.

“On the 26th of April she will go through to the Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m). We did consider taking her straight over to Australia, but we really want to see her do similar to what she did last start again and if she can come out and race well, and hopefully win, we will certainly be looking across the Tasman.”

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Photo:Atishu will have her final start in Saturday’s Gr.1 Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick, Bruno Cannatelli  

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh was expected to dominate proceedings in Saturday’s Barfoot & Thompson 1500 (1500m) at Ellerslie and did just that by filling the trifecta in the event, however the win by progressive galloper Penman was not without incident after he was promoted ahead of stablemate Erin Go Bragh, who had crossed the line ahead of him.

Punters had expected topweight Penman, who had contested the rich $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at his most recent start, to be the hardest to beat as he started a warm $2.10 favouriteahead of stablemates Bourbon Proof ($4.40) and Dramatic Miss ($6.10) in the nine-horse field.

However, Erin Go Bragh ($11.80) certainly wasn’t aware he was supposed to finish behind his comrades as he jumped beautifully for rider Tegan Newman, who took the bull by the horns and set up a steady pace at the head of affairs.

Erin Go Bragh shot clear heading for home and still held a handy two length buffer on hishard chasing rivals, headed by Penman, Altari and Dramatic Miss, at the 200m however he started to drift away from the rail at that point and badly hampered both Altari and Penman within sight of the winning post.

The Judicial committee open an inquiry into the interference caused by the winner at the 100m and with plenty of evidence from the head on vision showing the dramatic movement by Erin Go Bragh, they changed the placings to elevate Penman from second to first with Dramatic Miss finishing close up in third ahead of Toruk Makto and the desperately unlucky Altari.

Marsh watched the race from Sydney where he was putting the final raceday polish on talented three-year-old filly Love Poem who tackled the Australian fillies in the Gr.3 PJ Bell Stakes (1200m) on the first day of the Championships at Randwick.

“He is a bloody good horse this guy and he is going through the grades,” Marsh said.

“He is handling things so well and he freshened up nicely after the NZB Kiwi, so were confident he could go well today.

“Erin Go Bragh is also a nice horse in the making but he still is quite green and has a lot to learn. He is coming along well and that run will help bring him on even further.”

Marsh will wait to see how Penman recovers from the effort before deciding on any future plans, however he does have a possible Queensland Winter Carnival campaign in mind.

“He will go home and take it easy for a few days, but if he comes through it like I hope he will then Brisbane in the winter is a real possibility,” he said.

“He just keeps getting better and I think he could be very competitive if we do end up sending him over there.”

Penman carries the familiar colours of Albert Bosma and the Go Racing Penman Syndicate who share in his ownership with Toro Bloodstock after they purchased the son of Contributor out of the Book 1 Sale at Karaka in 2023 for $60,000.

He is out of the O’Reilly mare Update, a sister to talented mare Irlanda who won three times at stakes level, while also included in his extended family are multiple Australian Group One winner Mo’unga and Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner Chenille.

He has now won four of his seven starts and more than $214,000 in prizemoney. -LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Penman winning Saturday’s Barfoot & Thompson 1500 (1500m) at Ellerslie. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)