Tickets for both can be purchased by emailing: info@hawkesbayracing.co.nz
Hawke’s Bay Racing has set itself an ambitious goal of selling 50,000 tickets, which would mean an incredible $250,000 raised for the rural community.
Hospitality packages are also on offer for race day patrons, starting at $50 a head, and a concert will be staged on the main lawn once racing has finished for the day.
The Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) is one of the oldest races on the New Zealand calendar, dating back to 1875. It has been won by some of the country’s best middle-distance performers, including subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Hi-Jinx, Melbourne Cup runner-up Glengowan, and Cox Plate winners Fury’s Order and Surfers Paradise.
Tokyo Tycoon tests positive
Unbeaten Mark Walker-trained juvenile Tokyo Tycoon returned a post-race positive result to meloxicam after his victory in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Pukekohe on March 11.
The son of Satono Aladdin defeated Ulanova, Tulsi and To Catch A Thief to cap a perfect five wins from five starts.
After being notified by the Racing Integrity Board of the positive, Te Akau Racing released the following statement:
“We are extremely disappointed to be advised by the Racing Integrity Board (RIB) that Tokyo Tycoon has returned a positive post-race result for a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory medication following the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes.
“This news has come as an enormous shock as we have trained 155 winners this year in New Zealand alone, 30 at group level, and every other horse has delivered a 100 per cent clear post-race result.
“Te Akau always conducts itself with the utmost integrity and professionalism. Our whole team is deeply committed to these principles. We take pride in our robust systems, which have been noted by the RIB. Abiding by all rules of racing is non-negotiable for us.
“The post-race result indicates the presence of meloxicam, which is commonly used within the industry and is administered as an anti-inflammatory medication post gallop. This treatment was not prescribed to Tokyo Tycoon, making this result a mystery.
“We are working very closely and co-operatively with the RIB to ascertain exactly what has happened, and to establish how this has occurred.
“There are, in our view, only two possibilities for this to have occurred; either a human error, or deliberate administration by an unknown party.
“We have CCTV throughout our stable, and this footage is currently being analysed to identify what has occurred. We have shared this data with the RIB.
“We feel very disappointed for Tokyo Tycoon’s owners who are wonderful friends and supporters of our stable —and the horse himself as Tokyo Tycoon has proved to be the standout two-year-old throughout this season.”
Should Tokyo Tycoon be disqualified, the Stephen Marsh-trained Ulanova will be declared the winner of the Gr.1 $320,000 Sistema Stakes.
HB-owned Uderzo wins again
Uderzo, part-owned by Havelock North couples Sam and Birdie Kelt and Andrew and Lauren Scott, added to his impressive record with a game win in a $30,000 rating 75 race over 1600m at Tauranga last Saturday.
The Vadamos four-year-old, trained by the Matamata partnership of Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, was having his eighth start and now boasts a record of three wins, two seconds and two thirds.
He took his stake earnings to $87,305, which is still a lot less than the $125,000 he cost at the 2020 Karaka yearling sales.
Uderzo started favourite for last Saturday’s Tauranga race and gave his supporters little reason for concern in the running. Jockey Warren Kennedy bounced the horse out well from the barrier and had him trailing the pacemaking Senor Uno from the outset.
The race was run at a sedate pace in the early and middle stages but when the pace finally quickened, coming to the home turn, Kennedy quickly sent his mount forward to challenge for the lead.
Uderzo shot to the front early in the straight and maintained a strong run to the line to hold out the fast-finishing Blue Moon by a short neck.
Uderzo is the fifth foal produced by the Pentire mare Etosha Lass and a half-sister to three other successful horses in Desert Storm (three wins), Namibia Miss (four wins) and Desert Mystic (one win).
Kersley keen on NZ success
Australian jockey Fred Kersley will tick New Zealand off his bucket list this weekend when he fulfils a long-held ambition to race-ride in this country.
The 23-year-old Melbourne-based hoop has jumped at the opportunity to travel outside of Australia for the first time, enticed by a book of mounts at Saturday’s premier Manawatu Racing Club’s meeting at Awapuni.
Kersley’s mounts include last-start winner Aprilia in the Gr.1 $350,000 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
The U S Navy Flag filly is trained by Andrew Forsman, whose invitation to partner the two-year-old was quickly accepted by Kersley.
“I’ve been pretty keen to get over there for a while and finally everything has worked out,” Kersley said.
“When Andrew was recently in Melbourne we had a talk and obviously he has plans to expand over here in Australia.
“With a quiet week here, I thought I would come over for what is a good meeting and I haven’t ridden outside of Australia before so it’s a first.”
Forsman also has Riproar in the Sires’ Produce and he will be partnered by Gold Coast-based jockey Noel Callow with expatriate Kiwi rider Samantha Collett, now plying her trade in Queensland, to also be in action at Awapuni.
Their services have been snapped up due to a lack of local riders available, among them the suspended quartet of Michael McNab, Jake Bayliss, Kozzi Asano and Wiremu Pinn.
Kersley is a grandson of trainer and Western Australian Racing Hall of Fame member Fred, who trained the great Northerly to win two editions of the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) and also numbered the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) among his multiple top-flight triumphs.
“My grandfather practically raised me and he has been a huge influence on my life and played a huge part in shaping me to be the person I am today,” he said.
“He has always spoken highly of the quality of New Zealand horses and right from an early age, it’s always been in my mind to venture out and get over there.”
Kersley said he didn’t pay a lot of attention to his career numbers, but was recently reminded he had reached 250 wins in his career.
His highlight so far has been a victory in the Gr.2 Danehill Stakes (1100m) aboard the James Cummings-trained Kallos and he has gone close to an elusive Gr.1 success on two occasions.
“Frustratingly, I’ve been the bridesmaid in a Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and the VRC Derby (2500m),” he said.
Kersley finished runner-up in the Newmarket aboard The Astrologist and second in the Derby with Hit The Shot.
Among Kersley’s other mounts at Awapuni is the Tony Pike-trained Cheval D’Or in the Gr.3 $100,000 Manawatu Classic (2000m).
Besides riding the Andrew Forsman-trained Riproar in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, multiple Gr.1-winning jockey Noel Callow will also partner the other Tony Pike-trained runner in the Manawatu Classic in Lauding.
Expat New Zealand jockey Samantha Collett is making a fleeting return to New Zealand this weekend to ride at Awapuni’s feature meeting.
Collett has answered the call of Taranaki trainer Bill Thurlow, with whom she has a great association, having recorded her first Gr.1 success aboard the Thurlow-trained Glory Days in the 2019 Auckland Cup (3200m).
Her primary mount will be the Thurlow-trained No Rain Ever, who will line up in the Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
It will be a hit-and-run mission for Collett, who will spend less than 48 hours in her homeland, with riding commitments back in Queensland on Sunday.
