Second Innings back for bigger things next year

Exciting Hastings jumper Second Innings has been turned out for a well-earned spell and will be aimed at major jumping assignments when he comes back into work next year.

The horse's trainer and part-owner, Paul Nelson, was in two minds about whether to keep the horse going for one more race or spell him and, after consultation with the other owners, it was decided to turn him out.

"We were looking at giving him another run on the flat before he went out but there isn't really any suitable races coming up.

"It's been a big year for him and so we've decided he can go out now come back early next year," Nelson said.

Second Innings is the winner of his past four starts, three of them over hurdles. He won a 3100m maiden hurdle race by 3-1/4 lengths on the middle day of the Grand National Carnival at Riccarton in August and came out three days later and won a 0-1 win hurdle over the same distance by 3-1/2 lengths.

The Yamanin Vital 8-year-old then won a 2200m race on the flat at Awapuni on September 10 before heading to Te Aroha on September 25 when he romped home by 4 lengths in another 3100m hurdle race.

He has been ridden in all three of his hurdle wins by Hastings-born jumps jockey Aaron Kuru who was full of praise for him after the Te Aroha victory.

"This is a pretty serious horse and he'll be one to look out for next year," Kuru said.
Nelson agrees that Second Innings is an exciting jumper and added that it has helped that he has been kept to his own grade this year.

"There are now plenty of options for him next year," he added.

Second Innings is the winner of seven races from only 25 starts and has stake earnings of more than $95,000. He is owned by Nelson and his wife Carol in partnership with the horse's Central Hawke's Bay breeders Garry and Jan Sherratt and Cambridge couple Ben Foote and Kim Rogers.

No Hero retires

Last Saturday's Hawke's Bay premier race day marked the end of an era for one of the centre's equine stars.

No Hero, a former top jumper who included the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase (twice) and a Grand National Steeplechase among his eight wins over the big fences, made his last racecourse appearance.

The 20-year-old, who found his niche in recent years as a clerk of the course horse and the Trackside Interview mount for both Tom Hazlett and Jane Ivil on race days, has finally been retired.

No Hero was bred and owned by Hawke's Bay couple Paul and Carol Nelson and was certainly a "Hero" in their eyes.

The grey had 46 starts for eight wins, four seconds and three thirds and took his connections to Japan in the autumn of 2007, when invited to contest the Pegasus Jumps Stakes and the Nakayama Grand Jump. Unfortunately, he found track conditions too firm and he was unplaced in both races.

Upon his retirement No Hero was taken over by Hastings woman Jo Harrison, who has kept the horse in tremendous condition and perfectly groomed for his race day assignments. He was presented with a farewell dress rug on Saturday, sponsored by the Trackside racing website, and will be able to wear it as he lives out the rest of his days in a paddock at Harrison's Bridge Pa property.

HB races a success

Hawke's Bay Racing was delighted with the outcome of last Saturday's final day of the Bostock Spring Racing Carnival, where a crowd of more 5000 people flocked to the Hastings racecourse.

General manager Andrew Castles said there were 2200 hospitality passes pre-sold for the day and more than 700 pre-sold admission passes.
"We are still working out the final facts and figures but all and all it was a great day," Castles said.

"As it turned out the weather was good and we managed to get the racing over before it rained."

The total on-course betting turnover amounted to just on $800,000.
There were 127 entries in the New Zealand Punter of the Year competition, which was the most for eight years. The betting turnover from the special punters' room was just on $400,000.

Castles said the first two days of the spring carnival were also good results in both attendance and betting turnover.

Zentangle's hat-trick

Zentangle is certainly proving a great money spinner for his Hastings part-owner Jason Donnelly, with four wins from his past five starts.

The big Chinese Dragon 5-year-old completed a winning hat-trick when leading all the way for a three-quarter length victory in the $30,000 North Canterbury Cup at Riccarton last Saturday. The victory took the horse's stake earnings to more than $82,000, which represents a great return on the $5000 he cost at the 2013 Ready To Run sale of two-year-olds.

Zentangle is prepared by astute Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers, who bought the horse and also has a racing share in him, along with close friend Charlie Gestro and the estate of Jason Donnelley's father Jim Donnelly.

Apprentice Leah Hemi took Zentangle straight to the front in last Saturday's 2000m event and let the big chestnut bowl along at a moderate tempo in the early and middle stages. She then kicked him clear rounding the home turn and he was able to stave off the late challengers to win well.

The victory added to the horse's great record on the Riccarton track, where he has now had 10 starts for three wins and four minor placings.

Sofia Rosa coming home

Sofia Rosa's Melbourne spring carnival campaign has been cut short with the New Zealand mare to return home for a spell.

Her connections abandoned their Caulfield Cup plans for the 4-year-old after she failed to flatter in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington last Sunday.
"She's not where we would want her to be - she's just growing and changing a bit and we don't want to knock her around," said Bruce Perry, racing manager to the mare's Wellington-based owner Lib Petagna.

"She's going to come home for a break and then we'll get back and ready for the autumn."

The Stephen Marsh-trained Sofia Rosa, who won last season's ATC Oaks, had performed satisfactorily in her first two outings in Melbourne, but she could only beat one runner home in the Turnbull.

Plans for Kawi

New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock has mapped out a three-race programme for star galloper Kawi when he heads to Perth at the end of this month.
The Savabeel gelding is booked on a flight from Auckland on October 29 and is likely to have his first Australian start in a $A250,000 weight-for-age race over 1400m in Perth on November 5.

Following that there are two $A1million races that the horse can run in, the first of them over 1600m on November 19 and the second over 1800m on December 16.

Needed the run

Champion jockey James McDonald is expecting Kiwi stayer Pentathlon to show improvement with the benefit of his first-up run in Australia.

The John Wheeler-trained son of Pentire finished seventh in last Sunday's Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington.

"He battled on reasonably well, but he just needed the run," said McDonald, who incurred a five-meeting suspension on Monday that has counted him out of a ride in the Caulfield Cup tomorrow week.

The Soultaker sold

The Soultaker's brief New Zealand career is over with confirmation of the smart three-year-old's sale to overseas interests.

His connections had been approached by a buyer before his last-start victory in the Group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes on September 24 and the grey is now bound for Hong Kong.

"We agreed a price before the race - win, lose or draw," said George Simon, who bred the son of Iffraaj with his wife Maryanne and they remained in the ownership syndicate.
Trained at Ruakaka by Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs, The Soultaker had seven New Zealand starts for two wins and three seconds.