Hawke's Bay Racing chief executive Andrew Castles is leaving in March to take up a similar position with the Waikato Racing Club. Photo / Supplied
Hawke's Bay Racing's chief executive Andrew (Butch) Castles is stepping down from the position in March this year to take up the role of chief executive of the Waikato Racing Club.
Castles will commence his new position on March 23, replacing Ken Rutherford who has accepted a similar position with the Hawkesbury Racing Club in Australia.
Born and raised in Hawke's Bay, Castles has had an extensive background in the thoroughbred industry which includes 11 years as Director of Racing for the Auckland Racing Club, four years as secretary/manager of the Otaki-Maori Racing Club and chief executive of Hawke's Bay Racing for the past four and a half years.
"Hawke's Bay has always been home and Hawke's Bay racing is where I first got interested in the industry," Castles said.
"I went to school at Lindisfarne College and used to sneak over to the Hastings races whenever they were on. So, it was a dream job to come back to the Bay and take up such a vital position with Hawke's Bay Racing.
"Now I am heading to the Waikato, which is the heart of the thoroughbred industry and, obviously, one of the key racing areas in the country.
"There are a lot of people there that have a huge involvement in thoroughbred racing and hundreds who rely on the industry for employment.
"I am looking forward to a new challenge and can't wait to work with the board and staff there for the betterment of the thoroughbred industry in the greater Waikato region."
Castles said he is proud of the culture he and his staff have been able to build at Hawke's Bay Racing.
"I will always remember my time at Hawke's Bay Racing with great fondness. I have had the privilege of working with three dedicated chairmen in Mick Ormond, Tim Macphee and Eliot Cooper in the time that I've been here as well as a board and staff that have all strived to make a day at the races at Hastings a fulfilling one for all.
"It is always good if you can leave a place knowing you have made improvements and I think I have done that," he added.
Waikato Racing Club chairwoman Karyn Fenton-Ellis said she was delighted to announce that Castles would be joining their team.
"He has a truly outstanding background in the racing industry, bringing unparalleled experience and knowledge.
"In an environment of great change for the industry, as one of the country's largest clubs, the Waikato Racing Club is set to play a pivotal part in the future landscape of racing.
"It was imperative to the board that our new CEO brought the ability, the track record and the expertise to lead Te Rapa into the future. Andrew's credentials speak for themselves."
Castles said a process is now under way to find a suitable replacement for him at Hawke's Bay Racing.
Five HB winners in a week
Hawke's Bay owned and trained horses ended 2019 on a high, with five winners on New Zealand racetracks between Boxing Day and December 30.
Hastings-trained Heart Of Stone was an impressive all the way winner at Awapuni on Boxing Day while Hawke's Bay-bred and part-owned Flying Surf was also successful at the same meeting.
Up north Artiste took out the opening event at the Auckland Racing Club's premier Boxing Day meeting while two days later Thunder Bay made it two wins from 14 starts when taking out a Rating 65 race at Timaru.
The week's highlight came when Waipukurau owned and trained Pep Torque took out the $25,000 City Of New Plymouth Cup on December 29.
Pep Torque improved on a third placing on the first day of the New Plymouth meeting, two days earlier, to score a decisive two-length win in the 1800m feature and could now contest the Group 3 $70,000 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) at Trentham on January 11.
The 6-year-old Nadeem gelding hit a purple patch of form around this time last year when winning twice at Trentham in January, and again at that venue in March, so trainer Kirsty Lawrence is keen to take the horse back there again for this year's Wellington Cup meeting.
"The handicapper has got to him a bit and he got 10 points for winning last Sunday which puts him up to Rating 80," Lawrence said.
"I'd like to give him a run in a decent race and so we will throw in a nomination for the Anniversary on the first day or there is a Rating 82 race over 1600m at Trentham a week later."
She is also targeting the Group 3 $80,000 Taranaki Cup (1800m) on February 1 for the horse.
"He's shown he likes the New Plymouth track, so we'll head back there. We stayed at John and Linda Wheeler's place while we were there last weekend and I can't thank them enough for what they did for us."
Pep Torque indicated a win wasn't far away with a good third behind Malo Bik and Blanco Belle over 1600m at New Plymouth last Friday and it came just 48 hours later, courtesy of a perfect rails hugging ride by regular jockey Charlotte O'Beirne.
O'Beirne had Pep Torque travelling nicely in the trail throughout before slipping through on the inner of pacemaker Sergeant Blast rounding the home bend. The pair went for gold at the 200m and drew clear of a brave Sergeant Blast with Cambridge visitor Athena Baby finishing on well for third.
Pep Torque is owned by Kirsty Lawrence and her husband Steve along with their stable employee Susan Best and the sisters Diana and Christina Newman, who have been long-time stable clients.
It was Pep Torque's fifth win from 36 starts and he has also recorded four seconds, four thirds and two fourths. He cost his owners just $2600 as an untried 3-year-old and has now won them $103,000 in stakes.
"He's a real family pet this horse," Lawrence said.
"He's got a team of loyal owners and we went away for a bit of a holiday and picked up the Taranaki Christmas Cup.
"It was a lovely ride and we were pretty pleased with him after the first day as he ran the fastest last 600m in that race.
"He's as honest as the day is long and I'm really pleased for Charlotte as she has stuck with him and she just loves this horse."
Lawrence said she also has an untried 2-year-old half-brother to Pep Torque in her stable that is similar type.
Hastings mare shows plenty of heart
Heart Of Stone went a long way to fulfilling her early promise with a strong all the way win in a Rating 65 race over 1200m at Awapuni.
The Swiss Ace mare, trained at Hastings by John Bary, scored by 1-1/4 lengths and headed home two other horses with Hawke's Bay connections. Second place went to He's Done A Runner, bred and owned by Pourerere's Sue Harty, while third was Yossarian, trained at Hastings by Lee Somervell and owned by Hawke's Bay couple John and Colleen Duncan.
Heart Of Stone was recording her second win from seven starts and has also recorded two seconds and two thirds.
The 4-year-old finished second on debut over 1200m at Woodville in September 2018 and then got tongues wagging when she demolished her rivals by 4-1/4 lengths at her next outing, again over 1200m at Woodville.
She clocked a quick 1:09.18 when winning that day, which was more than half a second faster than Vincent took in winning that day's Rating 65 race over the same distance.
Heart Of Stone clocked 1:10.26 when winning over 1200m at Awapuni on Boxing Day but was almost as impressive. Jockey Lisa Allpress bounced her straight to the front from the number one barrier draw and commanded the race from there.
He's Done A Runner lodged a spirited challenge in the final stages but Heart Of Stone still had something in reserve and edged clear again close to the line.
Heart Of Stone is owned by New Zealand Thoroughbred Holdings Limited and bred by the company's head, Australian millionaire Gerry Harvey.
Deserved win by Flying Surf
Flying Surf improved on a last start third to score a deserved maiden win over 1400m at Awapuni on Boxing Day.
The Niagara mare had produced a second and two thirds from six previous starts and was unlucky not to win over 1350m at Waipukurau on December 8, where she was awkwardly away and powered home late for third, beaten by a nose and half a neck.
She had to produce a game performance to win at Awapuni as she was never closer in than three-wide for the entire journey and was one of the widest on the home bend. Jockey Leah Hemi was on one rein trying to keep the mare on a straight line early in the straight before she hit full stride in the final 100m to surge clear for a two-length victory.
Flying Surf was bred by Pourerere's Sue Harty and Hastings-based Neville Robertson along with four other people who live in Wellington and they all race her from the Awapuni stable of Mike Breslin. The same group also raced the mare's dam Surf Patrol, who was the winner of seven races when prepared by Breslin.
Flying Surf was Surf Patrol's second foal, the first being Son Of Surf who has won three races. The mare is now in foal to Dalghar.
Artiste looks a promising stayer
Artiste looks to be fulfilling her staying potential after a gutsy win in a $50,000 Rating 82 event over 2200m at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
The Mastercraftsman mare was impressive, coming from last of the 11 runners with 700m to run.
Apprentice jockey Taiki Yanagida managed to get a run through the field aboard Artiste rounding the home bend before angling to the centre of the track.
Obsessive looked the likely winner when he shot to the front half-way up the home straight but Artiste soon joined him in the lead and the two horses went head to head for the final 200m, with Artiste just managing to get her head in front on the line.
It was win number seven for Artiste from 35 starts and she has also chalked up 12 minor placings.
The mare is trained at Cambridge by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman and raced by the estate of the late Laurence Redshaw, a former prominent racehorse owner and racing administrator in Hawke's Bay. He bred Artiste out of the Montjeu mare Maidjeu.
Thunder Bay injured after win
The connections of Thunder Bay experienced both the highs and lows of racing last weekend.
They were celebrating after the Niagara mare got up to snatch a last-stride victory in a Rating 65 fillies and mares race over 1600m at Timaru on Saturday only to have the horse late scratched from a race at Kurow two days later, after she injured herself during the float trip from Christchurch.
Waipukurau's Chris Walker, one of the mare's co-breeders and part-owners, said the horse suffered a bruised tendon and, although the injury was not serious, it was enough to prevent her from taking her place in the 4-year-old race at Kurow.
"It was a bit of a blow as the field at Kurow didn't look that strong but she is back to 100 per cent fitness again now and may now go to the Reefton meeting on January 8," Walker said.
He and his wife Rae are members of the Boomchuckalucka Syndicate that bred Thunder Bay and still retain a 10 per cent shareholding in the mare. The other members are Ali Baldwin, Paul Beachen and Keith and Aine Rice. Another Hawke's Bay man, Phil King, also has a racing share in the mare, who is prepared at Riccarton by Michael and Matthew Pitman.
Thunder Bay is out of the Catbird mare Boomchuckalucka and a half-sister to Charlie Zulu, who was a winner at Waipukurau in March of last year. She is also a full-sister to Chuck A Luck, who recorded a win, two seconds and a third from eight New Zealand starts before he was sold to clients of Australian-based trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.
"The Boomchuckalucka Syndicate has retained a 25 per cent ownership in Chuck A Luck," Walker added.
The mare Boomchuckalucka is now deceased but the syndicate has also bred a yearling filly out of her, by Contributor.
The Andersens enjoyed a 100% winning rate this past week.