Jimmy Choux was trained at Hastings by John Bary and his five Group 1 victories were in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie, Rosehill Guineas (2000m) in Sydney and both the Windsor Park Plate (1600m) and NZ Bloodfstock Insurance Spring Classic (2040m) at Hastings. He was also runner-up in the 2011 running of the famous Cox Plate (2040m) in Melbourne.
Bary also trains Miss Emerald and races the mare in partnership with the Woods.
The four-year-old Iffraaj mare was having her eighth start when she lined up at Woodville but it was her first since she finished fourth over 1400m at Taupō in September last year.
Richard Wood said he and Bary have always had a high opinion of Miss Emerald but she is a mare that has taken time to grow up and strengthen.
“That was a pretty tough effort to lead practically all the way over 1400 metres in her first race for a long time and I think she will go on with it now,” Wood said.
The race Miss Emerald won at Woodville was part of the Entain-NZB Insurance Pearl Series so, in addition to the $9520 first prizemoney, the Woods and Bary also share a $20,000 Pearl Bonus.
Miss Emerald is one of four named foals produced by the now-deceased High Chaparral mare Urulu, who was unraced.
The first foal, by Jimmy Choux, was called Chouxwest and was unplaced in five starts.
The second foal was What a Charma, who was also by Jimmy Choux, and has recorded a win, five seconds and two thirds from 16 starts to date.
Miss Emerald is the third foal and Wood said the mare has since left a three-year-old by Charm Spirit, named Wild Ruby, who is trained in Australia by Clayton Douglas.
“He shows plenty of promise and Liz and I race a 10 per cent share in him along with a group of our friends from Western Australia,” Wood added.
The Woods were the breeders of two winners at last Friday’s Woodville meeting, the other being Pinkerton who took out a Rating 65 highweight over 1600m.
Pinkerton is a six-year-old by Niagara out of the Reset mare Bidthemobgooday and is now owned and trained by Awapuni-based Mark Oulaghan.
He is now the winner of three races from 18 starts and is a half-brother to Chouxting The Mob, who has been a seven-time winner in Australia, and also Duplicity, who has won six races.
Woodville winner Bucks Night on the market
The owners of Bucks Night, one of whom is Hawke’s Bay’s Richard Dee, are hoping the horse has enticed prospective buyers after his impressive maiden win over 1400 metres at Woodville on Friday of last week.
The big Vanbrugh three-year-old led all the way, under the urgings of Hawke’s Bay jockey Kate Hercock, and kept up a strong run to the line to score by three-quarters of a length.
It was the horse’s second start and his first since recording a debut second over 1300m at Tauherenikau at the beginning of January.
Bucks Night is trained by the Awapuni partners Shaun Fannin and Hazel Schofer and was a $20,000 purchase from the 2020 Karaka yearling sales.
He is raced by Fannin in partnership with Richard Dee and Sydney-based Trent Didham, who is a son of Awapuni trainer Peter Didham.
“He won really well and I think there is plenty of upside to him,” Richard Dee said this week.
“And I don’t think leading will be his real go either. I think he’ll be better when he can take a sit and then finish off.”
“The main thing is to try and sell him at this stage.”
Bucks Night is out of the Volksraad mare Dementieva, who was the winner of one race from 11 starts.
HB races transferred to Wanganui track
Hastings racegoers will be denied another local race day with next Saturday’s scheduled Hawke’s Bay meeting now transferred to Wanganui due to ongoing renovation work on the Hastings racing surface.
The Hawke’s Bay Cup race day, which was to be staged at Hastings last Saturday, also had to be transferred to Otaki.
At this stage the next race meeting scheduled to be run on the Hastings track is the Hawke’s Bay Hunt raceday on Saturday, June 29, unless other meetings are transferred to Hastings in the interim.
Imperatriz heads to the broodmare paddock
Australasia’s darling of the turf, Imperatriz, has been retired from racing.
Te Akau Racing announced the surprising news last week, just days after the daughter of I Am Invincible had returned back to New Zealand from a stellar season in Australia, where she won six of her eight starts, including five at Group One level.
“Imperatriz has been a magnificent racemare. I loved her from the time I set eyes on her at the Magic Millions’ sale. What she has done since has firmly established her as one of the very best racemares Australasia has seen in recent times,” Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis said
“Her tenacity, courage and sheer determination, combined with the sweetest nature you could imagine, have certainly won the hearts of fans worldwide. The joy she has brought to her owners is indescribable.”
Imperatriz won 19 of her 27 starts, including 10 at Group 1 level, and nearly $7.6million in prizemoney.
She was purchased by Ellis from the 2020 Magic Millions’ Gold Coast yearling sale for A$360,000.
Trainer’s emotional HB Cup success
New Plymouth trainer Janelle Millar secured the seventh black-type win of her career in last Saturday’s Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) at Otaki, and this one meant more than most.
Millar also co-bred and part-owns the emerging stayer Testify Me, who added the $120,000 feature to his last-start success in the New Zealand St Leger (2600m) at Trentham last month. In an even more special twist, Testify Me races in the colours of her late grandfather, the highly successful Stratford trainer Jack Taylor.
“It’s made me quite emotional, especially with those colours that he wears,” Millar said. “A lot of the owners are family, and we bred him as well, and the fact that he races in Grandad’s colours makes it even more special.”
Testify Me was sent out a $3.20 favourite for the Hawke’s Bay Cup and the race could hardly have gone any better.
Jockey Chris Dell enjoyed a comfortable run in second as Sporting Chance set a sedate pace out in front, then moved up on the outside of that runner approaching the home turn.
The strength and stamina of Testify Me shone through down the straight in testing heavy 10 ground, drawing away from Sporting Chance and turning back the challenge of the strong finishing Titled to win by 1-1/4 lengths.
Testify Me has now had 17 starts for five wins and four minor placings, along with a fourth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) in December and has earned $199,080 in stakes.
Orchestral earns a well-deserved spell
Orchestral has returned to New Zealand after a sensational campaign, which culminated in a bold effort for third in last Saturday’s Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick.
The highly talented daughter of Savabeel took the three-year-old ranks by storm through the summer period, with a stunning winning performance in the $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), which was emulated in both the Group 2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) and the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).
In her highly anticipated Australian debut, Orchestral delivered a fifth-straight win in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m), and certainly lost no admirers in her season grand final when finishing a length off Autumn Angel in the Australian Oaks.
Trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood were pleased to see her return to their Cambridge base in good order ahead of a well-deserved spell.
