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Richards confident with stakes contenders; Promising stayer makes Pukekohe break-through; Windsor Park Stud release fees
Richards confident with stakes contenders
Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards will line-up juveniles Folk Dress and Louis Luck in the Listed Waikato Equine Vet Centre 2YO Stakes (1100m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.
Richards had earmarked the race for both horses after Folk Dress recorded her second win from four starts with an emphatic performance over 1000m at Matamata on April 17, and Louis Luck finished strongly for fifth in the same race.
Richards is pleased with his runners heading into Saturday and is expecting a bold showing from the pair.
“Louis Luck has drawn well in barrier three and shapes to get a good trip,” he said.
“His work has been good and without a trial he was always going to improve off his first-up run. He made good steady ground fresh-up at Matamata, and he’s a fair horse. He’s got a tendency to do a few things wrong, but he could improve quickly.
“Folk Dress has drawn a bit awkwardly (barrier eight), but we have been riding her for cover so we won’t rush too much early and the likelihood of a competitive pace should suit her finishing off.
“Whiskey Neat obviously looks hard to beat. He’s got very good form from earlier in the season, but only had one quiet trial and it’s going to be an interesting race.
“I quite like our two. They’re both nice horses, ran well at Matamata, have been set for this race and worked well leading into it. They’ve each had an ideal prep.”
Promising stayer makes Pukekohe break-through
A campaign in Queensland will be considered for impressive Pukekohe winner Nerve Not Verve after the daughter of Shocking raced away with the Haunui Farm Maiden (2100m) on Friday.
Prepared by Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard, Nerve Not Verve broke maiden ranks at start number seven, having been placed on three occasions previously and was beaten less than five lengths when seventh in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m).
“She ran into a very good one here last time, when second behind Intrigue, but she’s a class act and really deserves the win,” Gerard said.
“The dead track looked to be ideal and although in training through the season she remains in very good condition and is enjoying her work.
“She’d run a faster last 600m than the winner in the Lowland, and finished strongly for seventh in the Oaks, so we expected a win was due.”
Gerard said that discussions with her training partner could see Nerve Not Verve competing during the Queensland Winter Carnival, joining stablemates Pinmedown, On The Rocks and She’s A Thief, who left on Friday morning.
“I’ll have a chat to Mike,” she said. “He always likes to get them over to Brisbane, and she handles wet tracks, but we will just wait and see how she pulls up. She can be a little hot-headed, which held up the early part of her career, and I don’t want to push her too much as I think she’s a beautiful staying mare that has got it all in front of her.”
A half-sister to Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner Glory Days, Nerve Not Verve sports the familiar colours of JML Bloodstock’s Lib Petagna. A $60,000 purchase by bloodstock agent Bruce Perry from the draft of Curraghmore at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Select Yearling Sale, Nerve Not Verve is also raced by Grant Devonport, Simon Moutter, Max Brown and Craig Lindberg.
Windsor Park Stud release fees
The Schick family’s Windsor Park Stud, in Cambridge, has announced the stud fees for its seven-strong stallion roster headed by triple Group One winner Charm Spirit at $18,000+GST.
The son of Invincible Spirit has made an excellent start to his stud career in both hemispheres, with the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Group Two winner Aretha his best performer from his first crop to date.
Hitherto the sire of five stakes performers, Charm Spirit’s Listed winning son Kick On will contest Saturday’s Gr.1 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Newmarket.
Triple Group One winner Turn Me Loose stands for $15,000+GST and the first weanlings by the good looking bay are due to be presented at the Karaka May Sale in a fortnight’s time.
Dual Horse of the Year, Mongolian Khan, will stand for a fee of $12,500+GST and his first yearlings have averaged in excess of $70,000.
Also at that fee is proven sire Rip Van Winkle, the sire of 26 stakes winners including boom galloper Te Akau Shark.
Emerging sire Shamexpress, who has 8.9% stakes winners to runners, is also at $12,500+GST, while Rageese and Vanbrugh, whose eldest progeny are foals, complete the roster at $5,000+GST apiece.
