News In Brief
Demonetization makes a winning return at Counties Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
NZ Derby contender scores at Counties
Exciting three-year-old Cutadeel made it three wins on-end when victorious in the Rogers Racing Stables 1600 at Counties on Friday.
The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained stakes winner is a joint $8 favourite for the Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie in March on the TAB’s futures market and he lost no admirers with his winning effort.
The son of Dundeel was sent back from his wide gate by jockey Opie Bosson to sit midfield for the majority of the race before he was able to pick up his rivals in the straight to win by three-quarters of a length.
“Opie rode him a treat, that was a ten out of ten ride and while the margin wasn’t that big I think he had a little bit of horse left there too,” Forsman said.
While there are a number of paths Cutadeel could take into the New Zealand Derby, Forsman said it was likely his runner would contest either the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) or Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) in the lead-up.
“They are a week apart now, so that’s the problem, so Murray will work that out,” Forsman said. “He will talk with the owners and they will figure out a path, but it will be one or the other, he wouldn’t need to run in both.
“2000m, he has already performed over the trip, it won’t hold any fears, and then just one run into the derby.”
Bosson was just as pleased with Cutadeel’s performance and believes he is a genuine Derby prospect.
“He’s a classy horse, it was a pretty good effort coming back to the mile with 59.5 kilos against the older horses,” he said. “He’s definitely a Derby horse.”
Birchley hoping for more Karaka Million spoils
Australian trainer Liam Birchley is hoping to win the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) for a third time at Ellerslie on Saturday when he lines-up Neptune’s Spear.
Birchley won the race in 2010 with Sister Havana and again in 2015 with Hardline, but the Queensland trainer believes he will be met by his sternest test in the race this weekend.
“I think this is the strongest one (Karaka Million 2YO) on paper that I have seen and competed in,” he said.
While Saturday poses a big test for his runner, Birchley believes he is just as good as his previous winners.
“He’s probably on par (with my other winners of the race), but he is a different style of horse, he’s a speed horse,” Birchley said. “That can be a double-edged sword depending on how things go upfront.”
Birchley went to $140,000 to secure the son of Super Easy out of Hallmark Stud’s 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Sale draft and said while he paid more than he wanted to for the colt at the time, he is happy he did.
“It was a little bit higher than I wanted to go, but I am actually glad I went that far, I think he is definitely a horse of the future from what he has shown me already,” Birchley said.
Birchley has formed a close association with Denny, Mark and Vicki Baker of Hallmark Stud and is staying at the Te Kauwhata farm while in New Zealand and he said Neptune’s Spear has settled in well.
“He has settled in beautifully, he worked at Ellerslie on Monday and had a little bit of a blow out at Pukekohe on Thursday morning, so all is good (heading into the race).”
Demonetization makes winning return
Demonetization made a winning return to the track at Counties on Friday when taking out the Haunui Farm 1400.
The Nigel Tiley-trained runner underwent a gelding operation after a disappointing runner-up performance last-start and Tiley said he has seen a marked improvement in last season’s Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) winner.
“He’s done really well. He was much more user friendly today when we were saddling him up,” Tiley said.
“He has really settled and has taken it all in today, whereas when he was a colt he was a real handful.”
Demonetization was installed a $1.90 favourite by punters and got up on the line to beat Pop Star Princess by a nose.
Tiley was happy with the win and said an Australian autumn campaign could be on the cards for his gelding.
“It was a big effort, he had a big weight (59.5kg) on his back. It’s just great to see him back,” Tiley said.
“We’ll just see how he pulls up. I’m not too keen to give him too many runs on firm tracks. As long as he can get his toe in the ground through the autumn, you never know we might take him to Australia if he comes up.”
