Pukekohe Park, 21st January

Race 1 – Contemplation

From barrier 5, Craig Zackey was able to get him in to a favourable spot, tracking the leader on the rail. Unfortunately, when the runs needed to come entering the straight, Craig had to steady slightly and take CONTEMPLATION off the heels of a tiring SAGUNTO, costing him a valuable 50m of running where he really wanted to be building his run for CONTEMPLATION to hit his top speed. This is backed by the sectional data which shows, once he was able to obtain clear running and build momentum, CONTEMPLATION completed the fastest final 400m & 200m splits of the race. In a race at this grade or back in Rating 75 grade, he will be saluting again soon.

Race 5 – Fashion Shoot

An easy one to dissect sectionally, FASHON SHOOT recorded the fastest last 800m, 400m & 200m of the race. There was no horse finding the line quite like her in the race. The winner and second horse came from on-speed positions in a moderately run race for it’s grade, putting FASHION SHOOT in an un-winnable spot on the corner. She had to fan the widest of the field and will be winning a race like this soon.

Race 6 - Legarto

This one seems obvious, but from the barrier she was always going to need luck and that just didn’t come. She wasn’t able to obtain clear running in to the straight and sprout down the outer as she tends to do in her runs. She was checked on the corner by DEVASTATE (Joe Doyle, who was subsequently suspended), when seeking a run and had no right to finish in 4^th from where she was at he top of the straight. An 11.49 final 200m is a mere 0.08 seconds off her final 200m when winning the start prior (11.41), suggesting this run is nothing but a small blip on this phenomenal fillies record. She will bounce back in a big way!