The Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie-trained Maison Roxanne is set for a step-up to stakes company after a strong win at Te Aroha last week. 

 

The three-year-old filly is raced by Sir Peter Vela and cruised to victory over 1200m under leading Sydney rider James McDonald, who gave a glowing report of the filly. 

 

“We’ve got quite a lot of time for her and James (McDonald) got off and gave her quite a big push,” Ramsay said. 

 

“He doesn’t get carried away but he said she would be very capable of measuring up in Sydney, so we’re going to roll the dice with her and run her in the three-year-old 1200m race (Gr.3 Mongolian Khan Trophy) on Karaka Million night.

 

“She is by Snitzel out of a nice mare, so hopefully we can pick up some black-type.

 

McDonald will once again partner the filly at Ellerslie on January 26, with the leading hoop returning to his homeland to ride Long Leaf in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m). 

 

The well-bred son of Fastnet Rock is trained by David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig and finished second behind Social Spin over 1400m at Flemington on New Year’s Day. 

 

 

 

Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman sent a team of two to Otaki on Monday with Not Usual June breaking her maiden in the Gardner Homes (1200m) at the fourth time of asking. 

 

The three-year-old filly got the better of the well-supported Press Release over the concluding stages to win narrowly. 

 

“I thought she'd come to the end of her run 200m out, but things were probably in her favour when the favourite was three-deep without cover and that told the last little bit,” Forsman said. 

 

“She was more here as a travelling mate for the two-year-old (Rhaegar), to help him out. 

 

“We knew she was working up well enough, it was just whether she was race fit was the question mark.”

 

Rhaegar started a $2.90 favourite in the Kapiti Signs (800m) two-year-old event but was a well beaten fifth behind the impressive winner Trifolium with stablemate Miss Sweet Pee providing Marton trainer Fraser Auret with the quinella. 

 

 

 

Trainer Fraser Auret produced promising three-year-old filly Not Santa to win at Otaki on Monday and has lofty targets for the daughter of Makfi.

 

Ridden by Johnathan Parkes, Not Santa closed too well for Lady In Lace to notch her second win from three starts. 

 

“She’s a promising type and we had her full brother Matchbreaker who's up in Hong Kong these days, Auret said. “It’s a really good running Family.

 

“We'll perhaps look at the Group Three (Desert Gold Stakes, 1600m) on Saturday week at Wellington. We'll just see how she pulls up. There's certainly a bit of x-factor about her that's for sure.

 

“She's really bred to be an Oaks filly. We can only be excited at this stage.”

 

Earlier on the program Auret trained the quinella in the juvenile event with Trifolium accounting for stablemate Miss Sweet Pee.

 

“Trifolium will have a little freshen up now,” Auret said. 

 

“She's the only one who hadn't trialled but she's really professional and a nice filly for the autumn.”

 

 

 

Popular farrier and former trainer Kevin (George) Crampton passed away on Friday after a short illness.

 

Affectionately known as K.G, the 82-year-old had been a race day farrier for over 50 years.

 

He was the regular farrier for Champion three-year-old McGinty, while he enjoyed good success as a trainer himself, preparing Beechcraft to win the 1983 Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m). 

 

Long-time friend and trainer Kim Clotworthy remembers Crampton as an extremely strong man, well-known for always wearing shorts, no matter the conditions. 

 

“He was a prop for Manurewa and one of the strongest men you would ever see,” Clotworthy said. 

 

“Even when the doctors gave him less than a week to live, he lasted another six.” 

 

He is survived by his wife Valerie, his children Alan, Gary and Sheryl and five Grandchildren.

Funeral details to be advised.