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Harcourts Thorndon Mile, Group 1 : Trentham - 18th January 2020

3 minute read

The Mitigator wins Harcourts Thorndon Mile, Group 1, NZ$200,000, at Trentham, 1600m,

Shaun McKay celebrates his first Group One victory aboard Thorndon Mile (1600m) winner The Mitigator.
Shaun McKay celebrates his first Group One victory aboard Thorndon Mile (1600m) winner The Mitigator. Picture: Race Images Photo

Leading from the outset, as he did when winning in Group 3 company at Ellerslie in November, The Mitigator defied his opponents to run him down and held on very gamely for his seventh career victory and maiden Group 1 win.

He was quickly away to take a narrow lead early and held there past the 1000m, edging more than a length clear from the 600m.

At the top of the straight he added to his lead then kicked at the 300m. He was still clear at the 100m and while the challengers came, he dug deep and clung on by a short-head.

Wyndspelle sat seventh at the 1000m, tried to improve from the 600m but struck traffic at the 400m. He poked through at the 250m and went hard after the leader.

He was taking ground off the winner but the post arrived too soon.

Yearn had a lovely run in fourth, hugged the fence into the straight and never gave up for a top third. Rock On Wood was very unlucky.

He tracked Yearn into the straight but never saw daylight until the 100m then flew to be a nose back in fourth.

Among the last few turning in, Shadows Cast kept up a strong run to finish fifth.


ANZ Bloodstock News

Trentham

Saturday, 18th January 2020

8
16:27
(local)

Thorndon Mile (G1)

Type: OPEN
NZD $200,000
1600m TURF DEAD
8
16:27
(local)
NZD $200,000
1600m DEAD

Thorndon Mile (G1)

Type: OPEN

This G1 mile under set weights and penalties saw an Australian bred in The Mitigator just fall in at the line to win it by a short head in what was a tight finish with the first four over the line separated by a fraction over half a length. The winners and where they turned for home in race order were second (four-off the inside and a neck from the leader), led (one-off the inside by a length), fourth (four-off the inside and length and a half from the leader), fourth (on the fence and length and a half from the leader), third (three-off the inside and a length from the leader), led (on the fence by two lengths), sixth (six-off the fence and four lengths from the leader), led (one-off the inside by two lengths), led (three-off the inside by half a length) and seventh (three-off the inside and four lengths from the leader). The Mitigator set the pace and controlled matters and held on by almost the smallest margin possible while carrying 56kg in 1:35.47. He had run eighth in the same race a year ago when also leading up but carried 55kg then. Today a year later with two more wins including one at G3 and placings at G2 and G3 he looked well enough in at 56kg. It was his first win at G1 and his seventh win in thirty-two starts today. To show he was in form he would lead up at his start after this at G1 under WFA and run a distant second to a very much in form Te Akau Shark. Wyndspelle having won his first ever G1 prior to today with 59kg looked well in here at 58kg but came up a lip short. He ended up racing eighth the outer and surged into third at the 200m and was closing at the 50m but just missed. Half a length further back carrying 55kg was the mare Yearn, which had trailed the winning leader and was yet another bold effort this season by the then 6yo mare. She had seven runs last season for a single win at G2 against her own sex but also had placings at G1, G2 and G3 and a close fourth at G2. Rock On Wood ran a game fourth beaten a smidgeon more than half a length in what was just his fifth outing for the year. He won a fresh up Open Handicap carrying 57kg then was beaten half a head into second at G2 under WFA before today's close up effort. The lightly tried 5yo gelding at this stage was unlucky today racing three back the inner before surging home when clear at 55.5kg. He would after today run third at G1 under WFA beaten just over half a length and really flew the last bit again before then ending up a luckless seventh at G1 right-handed. Fifth back a length and a half was Shadows Cast, the equal topweight with runner up Wyndspelle of 58kg, after racing back tenth but finding the line attractively. He won this event last year with 58kg over Wyndspelle, which had 55kg back then, so his form is holding up but wins are now hard to come by with just one success since when carrying a mammoth 63kg. Mongolian Marshal ran a close up sixth after racing third mostly and he fought well but has not saluted since December of 2018 at G3. Watch The Space sat second the outer and fought on okay to be beaten less than two lengths in seventh place. Almost four lengths back was On The Rocks that found room hard to come by late in the race with something to offer. Dark Princess was noticed running on from second last while Son Of Maher was beaten just over four lengths in tenth place after being midfield and wide the whole way. The rest were beaten more than five lengths and up to almost 30 lengths. This was a busy finish with the first seven home separated by less than two lengths.



FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 4. THE MITIGATOR (AUS) 5yo G
MASTER OF DESIGN (AUS) - CHARMING RUBY (AUS)
SHAUN M MC KAY
PETER MCKAY
$31
56kg
R P Davis, T E Luke, N Butterfield, P T Fenwick, J P Hopkins, M F Jones, C G King, T J Perry, S G Phillip, G N Russell, C H Thiele & J H Veale

Sales Information

2nd 2. WYNDSPELLE (NZ) 6yo H
IFFRAAJ (GB) - WESTERN STAR (NZ)
JASON WADDELL
JOHNO BENNER & HOLLIE WYNYARD
$5
58kg
J Frew, S Hanna, Jen Campin Bloodstock Ltd & N P Randles

Sales Information

3rd 9. YEARN (NZ) 6yo M
SAVABEEL (AUS) - PRINCESS UNO (AUS)
SAM SPRATT
KIMBERLEY HODGSON
$15
55kg
Mrs C R & M Lupton
4th 6. ROCK ON WOOD (NZ) 5yo G
REDWOOD (GB) - ROCK ON RYE (AUS)
RYAN ELLIOT
LEANNE ELLIOT
$4.25
55.5kg

Sales Information

5th 1. SHADOWS CAST (NZ) 7yo G
PER INCANTO (USA) - AGES PAST (NZ)
CRAIG GRYLLS
M OULAGHAN
$7.5
58kg

Sales Information

6th 5. MONGOLIAN MARSHAL (NZ) 5yo G
HIGH CHAPARRAL (IRE) - ARDECHE (NZ)
OPIE BOSSON
MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN
$9
56.5kg

Sales Information

7th 10. WATCH THIS SPACE (NZ) 8yo G
ELUSIVE CITY (USA) - MULTI TASKER (NZ)
SAMANTHA COLLETT
VANESSA HILLIS
$67
55kg
8th 3. ON THE ROCKS (NZ) 5yo G
ALAMOSA (NZ) - COLD SHOULDER (NZ)
MICHAEL MCNAB
MICHAEL MORONEY & PAM GERARD
$10
58kg

Sales Information

9th 13. DARK PRINCESS (NZ) 6yo M
CAPE BLANCO (IRE) - GAME DUCHESS (AUS)
MICHAEL COLEMAN
JEFF LYNDS
$51
54kg

Sales Information

10th 11. SON OF MAHER (AUS) 7yo G
AL MAHER (AUS) - DANCE HIT (NZ)
SAM WEATHERLEY
MICHAEL & MATTHEW PITMAN
$51
55kg

Sales Information

11th 7. VERNANME (NZ) 4yo H
O'REILLY (NZ) - BOHEMIAN BLUES (NZ)
DANIELLE JOHNSON
STEPHEN MARSH
$17
55.5kg
12th 8. VIGOR WINNER (AUS) 4yo G
DECLARATION OF WAR (USA) - SAVONT (AUS)
LEITH INNES
LAUREN BRENNAN
$8.5
55.5kg

Sales Information

13th 12. HYPNOS (NZ) 4yo G
RELIABLE MAN (GB) - QUALITY DREAM (AUS)
VINNIE COLGAN
ROGER JAMES & ROBERT WELLWOOD
$26
55kg

Sales Information

14th 14. SECRET ALLURE (NZ) 4yo M
ZACINTO (GB) - SECRET SCENT (NZ)
R J MYERS
LISA LATTA
$26
54kg

Sales Information

15th 15. LIVIN' ON A PRAYER (NZ) 6yo M
REDWOOD (GB) - IT'S MY SIN (AUS)
LISA ALLPRESS
VANESSA HILLIS
$61
53kg

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