Podium made it three wins from only four starts when she powered home to win a $50,000 rating 75 race over 1400m at Trentham by a short neck.
That win followed a fresh-up four-length victory over 1200m at Hastings on November 13; she also scored an impressive 2¾ length debut win over 1200m at Wanganui in April.
In between times Podium had one other start, over 1230m at Rotorua, where she raced erratically and finished last of 12 runners.
Lowry decided to give the mare a good break after that failure, then worked on giving her a good, slow buildup in a new preparation.
Lowry engaged Australian-based jockey Mick Dee for Podium at Trentham last Saturday and said he was key to the mare’s success.
“She is a bit field shy and he [Dee] rode her perfectly. It was the ride that won the race,” Lowry said.
Dee settled Podium midfield and one off the inside rail in the early stages, then picked a path between horses starting the last 600m. He managed to urge her through a gap 200m from the finish and she accelerated clear to win by a short neck.
Dee said later that Podium did not get a good run in the early and middle stages of the race and he was a bit worried coming to the home turn.
“But once she got out and swapped legs she was really strong to the line,” he said.
The win brought back a lot of good memories for both Lowry and Dee.
Dee started out his apprenticeship attached to the Guy Lowry stable in Hastings, when the latter trained in partnership with Grant Cullen.
The talented jockey then spent a brief time with Whanganui trainer Kevin Myers before heading across the Tasman in 2015 and completing his apprenticeship with Caulfield trainer Mick Price.
Dee, 26, is now regarded among the top echelon of Victoria-based jockeys, helped immensely by his win aboard the Chris Waller-trained Durston in the Gr.1 A$5million Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 15.
Reflecting on that win, Dee said it has obviously been the pinnacle of his riding career so far.
“It was a bit of a surprise at the time. We were just going out there and hoping to run very well and ended up getting up on the day.
“It cemented my spot in Australia on the back of that Caulfield Cup win.”
Dee’s win on Podium completed a winning treble for him at Trentham last Saturday. He also steered Shamus to a 1¼-length victory in the $50,000 open sprint over 1200m and Pearl Of Alsace to success in the $50,000 Special Conditions Maiden over 1600m.
He also went close to recording his first New Zealand Gr.1 triumph aboard Aegon in the day’s feature event, the $300,000 Captain Cook Stakes. The Andrew Forsman-trained five-year-old looked the likely winner of the 1600m event when in front 50m from the finish but was caught in the last few strides by Prise De Fer, ridden by Michael McNab.
Dee was on a flight back to Melbourne on Sunday and continued his great run of form by kicking home another winner at Wednesday’s Sandown meeting in Victoria.
Lawrence runners aim high
Waipukurau trainer Kirsty Lawrence is heading to today’s Awapuni meeting in Palmerston North with four runners, three of which could have bigger assignments in the coming weeks.
Her assault is led by evergreen gelding Pep Torque, who heads into the Manawatu ITM 2100m in good form.
The nine-year-old son of Nadeem has recorded two wins and a third from three starts this time in, including a success in the listed Feilding Gold Cup (2100m) at Awapuni in October. Lawrence is hoping he continues his good form as he prepares for next Saturday’s Gr.3 $80,000 Manawatu Cup (2300m).
The horse rounded off his preparation for today’s race with a strong exhibition gallop at Wednesday’s Hawke’s Bay meeting in company with the Guy Lowry-trained The Stoney One.
The two horses worked in from the 1000m peg on the course proper in 1:03, running the first 400m in 28.4s before stretching out over the last 600m in 33.6s.
It was excellent work from both horses and The Stoney One also heads to today’s Manawatu meeting where he contests a rating 65 race over 1200m.
Lawrence says Pep Torque is bright and well going into today’s race, but has risen to a tough place in the handicap, being allotted 60kg. So she has engaged 3kg claiming apprentice Faye Lazet to reduce the weight he has to carry.
Purchased for just $2800 off gavelhouse.com, Pep Torque has now won more than $253,000 in stakemoney and nine races.
“He is a bit of a stable pet and Susan Best, who works for me, is in the ownership with him. We take him out to the beach and do a few different things with him, but he is a cool little horse,” Lawrence said.
“He is a nine-year-old now, so he is certainly a seasoned horse, but he is sound and I have been really lucky with him.”
Lawrence is also looking forward to lining up Zappa Jak in today’s Lawnmaster Lithium 2200, a rating 75 event that is a qualifying race for the $120,000 Dunstan Feeds Stayers Championship Final (2400m) at Te Rapa on New Year’s Day.
“He is a neat horse raced by a great syndicate that has a lot of first-time owners in it,” Lawrence said.
The son of Jakkalberry won two races in a row before a last-start eighth over 2200m at Otaki, where he was unsuited by the heavy-8 track.
“He is a nice horse, but he is only 4, so whatever he does this season he will be a nice staying horse next campaign.”
Stablemate Real Slim Tradie is another runner Lawrence is hoping to head north with over the Christmas period.
However, her plans rely on today’s result in the NZB Karaka 2023 Trainers Series 1300, a rating 75 race over 1300m. A good showing should be enough to qualify him for the $100,000 Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final (1500m) at Pukekohe on Boxing Day.
“He had no luck at Trentham last Saturday but he has pulled up really well so we have opted to back him up for a last throw at the stumps to qualify him,” Lawrence said.
“He has acquitted himself really well. That last-start run was the worst result of his life. He is a nice, big horse that needs a bit of luck.
“He has drawn wide [20] on Saturday, but we won’t worry about that. He is better off being three wide than ridden pretty.”
Lawrence’s fourth runner at today’s meeting will be Indulge Me in the Landmark Homes 2200m.
“It is his first time over ground. He will need to show something on Saturday, but he has been looking for more ground,” she said.
TAB reduce payout to NZTR
TAB New Zealand has announced a reduction in distributions to Racing New Zealand of $15 million for the rest of the 2022-23 season.
What this means for New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing is a reduction of $8.5m in distributions to racing clubs for the remainder of the season, ending July 31 next year.
NZTR chairman Cameron George and CEO Bruce Sharrock have responded to the announcement with a joint message to all thoroughbred racing stakeholders.
The key points in the message are summarised as follows:
The NZTR Sustainable Reserves Fund will be used to underwrite stakes levels and club funding payments to allow these to remain as planned for the current season.
This will not result in any reductions to the infrastructure fund, which will continue to be used to fund vital infrastructure improvements for the industry.
NZTR will continue to explore every avenue to secure the revenue needed to underpin the industry going forward.
Should further TAB reductions occur, the NZTR board would need to review its position.
Australian Cup now the main aim
Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace are hoping to achieve more Gr.1 success with Smokin’ Romans as they set their sights towards autumn with the New Zealand-bred six-year-old.
The son of Ghibellines, part-owned by Dannevirke’s Steve Prenter, was a dominant winner of the Gr.1 A$1million Turnbull Stakes at Flemington in October and his trainers are now eyeing the Gr.1 Australian Cup (2000m) on the same track next March.
“He’s just gone back into work,” Eustace said this week.
“He looks terrific. He’s had a nice break, but we don’t like to give those older horses too long out and let down too much. He’s going to hold plenty of residual fitness.”
