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Powerworx Opunake Cup, Listed : New Plymouth Raceway - 20th July 2019

3 minute read

Helena Baby wins Powerworx Opunake Cup Listed NZ$65,000 at New Plymouth Raceway, 1400m.

Helena Baby winning the Powerworx Opunake Cup
Helena Baby winning the Powerworx Opunake Cup Picture: Race Images Photo

Helena Baby shredded his opposition here at his first attempt in stakes class, well clear by five and three quarter lengths to score his fifth successive victory in just seven starts. He challenged for the lead soon after the jump and past the 1200m took over by a half length and was a length clear at the 1000m.

Jockey Donavan Mansour sat quietly, hugging the rail to the top of the straight then let off the brakes. He shot clear, away by three then kept extending the lead. At the 150m Mansour looked over his shoulder and immediately dropped his hands, able to ease considerably yet well clear and totally in control.

Rosewood was four lengths last at the 600m, caught the pack at the top of the straight and ran on well for a distant second.

Herengawe was midfield at the 600m, improved from the 350m into third then battled fairly to hold third from Red Sierra who raced wide into the straight and looked to challenge then ground away for fourth.
ANZ Bloodstock News

New Plymouth Raceway

Saturday, 20th July 2019

6
15:10
(local)

Powerworx Opunake Cup (LR)

WT: 53.0kg Type: OPEN
NZD $65,000
1400m TURF HEAVY
6
15:10
(local)
NZD $65,000
1400m HEAVY

Powerworx Opunake Cup (LR)

WT: 53.0kg Type: OPEN

This Listed 1400m saw the current wet track boom galloper Helena Baby dish out a deadset shellacking too his rivals. Helena Baby was having his first try in Open Class and for that matter at Blacktype but it made no difference as he humiliated his rivals with a near all the way success. The winners today and where they turned for home in race order were second (trail inner a length behind the leader), led (one-off the inside by a length), led (three-off the inside by a neck), led (the inside by half a length), led (inside by a head), led (the inside and by three lengths), led (one-off the inside by two lengths) and seventh (one-off the inside and a length and a half from the leader). Why any rider steered wider today defies belief with such a blatant track bias and worryingly many riders gave away the inside lanes at will turning for home in many races, so no homework was being done and no noticing of obvious patterns taking place. Helena Baby was a tad tardy then booted through onto the pace before taking the lead outright and was let dictate proceedings thereafter surprisingly by rival riders considering the blatant on pace and inside track bias on display all day. Helena Bay daylighted his opposition the run home to win by five and three-quarter lengths in 1:32.61 carrying the minimum of 53kg but he was ten lengths superior in fact as got throttled right down the last 50m in a display of utter contempt. It was his fifth win from seven starts and the other two times he raced saw runners up finishes. He has won five races in a row now for an average victory margin of over four and a half lengths and all his wins have come on slow or heavy ground. The 4yo has won both directions but most peculiarly his five wins in a row have all been over 1400m and that is unusual indeed for a runner to say at one trip and not look to lengthen his range for so long. Rosewood was tardy and settled down a detached last before coming wide turning for home and she was eighth and the deepest out at the 200m. The mare gave the winner 5.5kg but unleashed strongly and reached second in a gap at the 50m so her effort was massive considering the track pattern too. Herengawe ran home stoutly from back on the inner to get third in his first Blacktype outing. Red Sierra was tardy and got back but ran home well while Hello M'Lady raced fifth or sixth the inner and came through third turning for home close in before wilting a tad final 50m.| Ritani was back before coming wide across the top to the home turn and reached sixth and the second deepest turning in, which was her finishing position at the line too. Platinum Rapper plugged on distantly late from well back on settling while Taurus raced fourth wide and weakened out the final 50m. Comeback raced third wide mostly and stopped under the 59.5kg. Battle Time and Seventh Up were ordinary beaten over twenty lengths and twenty-six lengths respectively. New York Minute was wide before sitting second the outer but the mare stopped badly under 59kg and was in reverse near the home turn. She got beaten a mammoth just under thirty-five lengths. Te Toro Pearl ran a shocking last beaten a staggering almost thirty-nine lengths carrying 53.5kg after racing sixth or seventh wide and the mare today ran a career worst by miles. Her two runs leading into today saw a brave fourth at 57kg under WFA against her own sex at Listed level over 1400m and before that a G3 second also at 57kg under WFA over 1400m, so she was in form. Helena Baby has shown dead ground is manageable but any better footing is a complete unknown at this stage plus he may not have that same speed with drier underfoot conditions. His time today too was not the quickest by a margin with a winner of a special conditions maiden clocking 1:31.96 and scoring by four lengths. The 3yo filly Magdala was a single race winner coming into today but a maiden when nominated so could run in the MAAT event and she ran a four lengths superior time to Helena Baby. It should be taken into account Helena Baby was eased up dramatically the last 50m so almost certainly would have run the best time for the day. Can he handle WFA and Group racing is the next question for Helena Baby and it should soon be found out while the tracks are still wet enough. Under handicap conditions he can put to the sword these older horses that have been going around for several seasons but how will he cope at WFA when a 5yo in a week or so and having the same impost as far more proven types and having to give weight to say a six-time G1 winner such as Melody Belle. The answer may happen sooner than you think.



FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 11. HELENA BABY (NZ) 4yo G
GUILLOTINE (NZ) - HOT STASH (AUS)
DONAVAN MANSOUR
JOHN BELL
$2.25
53kg
John Bell & C Y Lee
2nd 4. ROSEWOOD (NZ) 5yo M
REDWOOD (GB) - GLAD EYE (GB)
LISA ALLPRESS
M PAEWAI
$10
58.5kg
Mrs M Paewai

Sales Information

3rd 7. HERENGAWE (NZ) 4yo G
ZED (NZ) - VIM (NZ)
CHRIS JOHNSON
JOANNE MOSS
$13
54.5kg
I A Lupton
4th 9. RED SIERRA (NZ) 5yo M
REDWOOD (GB) - SIERRA GOLD (AUS)
SAMANTHA COLLETT
DAVID & EMMA HAWORTH
$11
53kg

Sales Information

5th 10. HELLO M'LADY (NZ) 5yo M
SHOCKING (AUS) - THE GENERAL'S LADY (AUS)
ANNA JONES
VICKI PRENDERGAST
$41
53kg

Sales Information

6th 13. RITANI (NZ) 4yo M
MAKFI (GB) - ELEGANT EMERALD (AUS)
DANIELLE JOHNSON
STEPHEN MARSH
$17
53kg

Sales Information

7th 12. PLATINUM RAPPER (NZ) 3yo F
MAKFI (GB) - WEDNESDAY ROCKS (NZ)
ROBERT HANNAM
LISA LATTA
$31
53kg

Sales Information

8th 5. TAURUS (NZ) 10yo G
NO EXCUSE NEEDED (GB) - STARS IN HER EYES (NZ)
MADAN SINGH
MS J RAYNER
$41
57.5kg
9th 2. COMEBACK (NZ) 4yo G
MAKFI (GB) - INTELLIGENTSIA (AUS)
JOHNATHON PARKES
GRAEME & DEBBIE ROGERSON
$26
59.5kg

Sales Information

10th 6. BATTLE TIME (NZ) 6yo G
BATTLE PAINT (USA) - LADY OF OAKVIEW (NZ)
R J MYERS
TIM & MARGARET CARTER
$13
55.5kg
11th 1. SEVENTH UP (NZ) 8yo G
SHINKO KING (IRE) - REGELLE (NZ)
GRANT COOKSLEY
S HALE
$41
60kg
12th 3. NEW YORK MINUTE (NZ) 6yo M
IFFRAAJ (GB) - ZENNO QUEEN (NZ)
CRAIG GRYLLS
MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN
$12
59kg

Sales Information

13th 8. TE TORO PEARL (NZ) 4yo M
BULLBARS (AUS) - TE TORO LASS (NZ)
CAMERON LAMMAS
JON MILLER
$9
53.5kg

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