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New NZB Ready to Run Sale Trainer Series; Flemington challenge for Toffee Tongue; Asano looking forward to more time on Beach; Cadenabbia breaks through in Sydney
New NZB Ready to Run Sale Trainer Series
New Zealand Bloodstock has announced eight new NZB Ready to Run Sale race sponsorships as well as a new, incentivised prize package for domestic trainers over the duration of spring.
NZB has introduced the new incentive to support New Zealand trainers to attend the Ready to Run Sale in November.
Four races will take place at Riccarton, while four other races will be shared between New Plymouth, Hawke's Bay and Wellington Racing Clubs. Full details of race dates will be released shortly.
Working alongside partners, NZB will award the winning trainer of each sponsored race the following prize package:
A $500 travel voucher towards the 2020 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka.
A $600 insurance voucher towards insurance for one purchase at the 2020 Ready to Run Sale, courtesy of NZB Insurance.
A Majestic Horse Transport voucher ($150 for Central series race or $300 for Southern series race) towards transport of one 2020 Ready to Run Sale purchase, courtesy of Majestic Horse Transport.
A three-month subscription to Raceform, including courier delivery.
"New Zealand buyers were responsible for a total spend of over five million dollars at the 2019 Ready to Run Sale, so we are motivated to support our domestic trainers through this initiative and encourage them to attend our Ready to Run Sale in November," NZB Bloodstock Sales Manager Danny Rolston said.
"We anticipate that a number of New Zealand's leading trainers will be attending our sales and we want to help them by offering our support and subsidising some of their purchase costs."
This year's Ready to Run Sale will be held as a physical sale at Karaka on November 18 and 19, with Breeze-ups conducted at Te Rapa Racecourse on October 12 and 13.
The catalogue will be out in mid-September.
Flemington challenge for Toffee Tongue
Group One-winning mare Toffee Tongue will have her second hit-out of the season when she contests a 1700m handicap at Flemington on Saturday.
The full-sister to Group One winner and former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther finished fifth first-up over 1400m, which pleased her connections.
"It was a very encouraging run first-up, especially over a distance that is well short of her best," trainer Chris Waller's Flemington foreperson Jo Taylor told RSN927.
"She got held up in quite a vital part and she is a mare who needs to work through her gears and then you will see the best of her late.
"The turn of foot she still showed in that run was very encouraging."
Taylor's only concern heading into the weekend is Toffee Tongue's wide draw of 15.
"Unfortunately we have got a bad barrier," she said. "But we will take a conservative approach, get some cover and work our way into the race from the half-mile."
Toffee Tongue was purchased out of Highden Park's 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $500,000 by bloodstock agent Dean Hawthorne.
Meanwhile, Taylor has been pleased with the way Humidor has come through his Gr.2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) victory last weekend.
"We are really happy with how he pulled up. He seems to be a really happy horse and he is just having a quiet week," she said.
"He is showing us all the right signs that he is ready to go again in three weeks' time."
Asano looking forward to more time on Beach
Bronte Beach can make it back-to-back Riccarton wins on Saturday, according to New Zealand's leading apprentice Kozzie Asano.
Asano guided the Stephen Marsh-trained Reliable Man four-year-old mare to a Rating 94 win at Riccarton last month and was confident she could replicate the performance in Saturday's Pryde's Easifeed Handicap (1600m).
"She jumped nicely and travelled well all the way at Riccarton last time. She saw the leader and just did everything she could to make sure she could catch him," Asano said.
"If she handles the track on Saturday, she'll be right there again, I'd say. She went a mighty race last time and while she's quite a tricky horse to ride, I'm really looking forward to riding her again on Saturday."
Cadenabbia breaks through in Sydney
High-priced youngster Cadenabbia has added his first slice of performance to a rich pedigree.
The Chris Waller-trained colt ran second on debut and at Canterbury on Wednesday went one better with a touch of flair.
Ridden by James McDonald, the $800,000 Cambridge Stud Karaka graduate comfortably justified his short price over 1550m.
"He's a lovely colt," McDonald said.
"He's going to be better with a prep under his belt. He'll furnish and I think he's a real autumn colt but he's doing a good job now."
Waller nominated the Gr.3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup carnival as a possible goal.
"He has always shown us ability and it was good to get today's win out of the way," Waller said.
"We can start plotting towards better races, probably in the autumn, but I think he might get a chance in a stakes race at some stage through this prep as well."
Cadenabbia was bred by Brendan and Jo Lindsay in partnership with Mornington-based horseman David Brideoake and topped Cambridge Stud's draft at Karaka in 2019.
He was knocked down for $800,000 to the final bid of Aquis and leading agent James Bester.
Aquis races the promising three-year-old with the McClure family, Kia Ora Stud and G1G Racing & Breeding.
Cadenabbia is the first foal of Griante (Good Journey), who Brideoake prepared to win the Gr.1 Galaxy Handicap (1100m) in the Lindsay colours.
Cornflower Blue shortens for Guineas
The Jamie Richards-trained Cornflower Blue has firmed to a $10 chance in early markets for the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm 48th New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) following a dominant win at Matamata on Wednesday.
Sporting the colours of Waikato Stud, the daughter of Savabeel was ridden like the best horse in the race by Danielle Johnson and forged clear by in excess of six lengths over the concluding stages.
Out of the O'Reilly mare Tiffany Yellow, Cornflower Blue had not been seen on raceday since finishing second to stablemate Need I Say More in an 1100m maiden back in February.
"It was a pretty exciting win from a filly that we've had a lot of time for," Richards said.
"She'd run a strong second to a promising horse, Need I Say More, and although I was concerned about the ground she was able to put herself up on speed and then put a space in them late in the race to win quite impressively.
"She had a small stress fracture in her Canon bone and needed a good, long break after her debut run in February and thankfully the Waikato Stud team, Dr. Chris Phillips, Kerrie Cox and Sam McLeish, along with our vet Ronan Costello, gave her plenty of time to get over that and it's all in front of her now.
"It's nice to have another really good filly in the stable for Mark & Pippa Chittick, and Garry & Mary Chittick, so we are looking forward to the future with her."
Her conqueror on debut, Need I Say More, has since gone on to become a multiple Group winner, including winning last weekend's Gr.3 Northland Breeders' Stakes (1200m), while the third placegetter from the strong maiden was subsequent Group One performer Kelly Renee.
