Sagunto took up the role of pacemaker again and, although he set up a good clip again, Hastings apprentice Lily Sutherland was able to settle Pep Torque perfectly in second place and kept the leader in her sights
“Lily had been coming in to the Hastings track and riding him (Pep Torque) in his gallops and that really helped,” Lawrence said.
“She knew how to ride him and was able to get him to settle and breath properly in the race which is a big thing for him.”
Pep Torque started to close on Sagunto coming to the home turn and went up to challenge soon after turning into the straight. The two horses went head to head over the final stages with Pep Torque surging ahead close to the line to win by a long neck.
“It was a really good win and the eighth time he has won with an apprentice on,” a happy Lawrence said.
“It was Lily’s first race ride on him and she did a great job.
“He’s a horse that has risen so quickly in the weights that it helps if you can book a claiming apprentice for him.”
Pep Torque was having his first start for almost a month but Lawrence kept him tuned up with an open class jumpout at Levin at the beginning of last week, which he won by eight lengths.
“I knew then he was ready to go after that,” she added.
Lawrence wasn’t on course to celebrate Pep Torque’s latest win as she had her daughter competing at the New Zealand Horse & Pony Show in Dannevirke that day. But she was able to watch the race on her phone and said everyone around her could hear her cheering the horse home.
Pep Torque’s nickname is ‘Aussie’ as when the horse was offered on the thoroughbred online auction site Gavelhouse it came down to The Lawrences deciding whether to buy him for $2600 or spend the money on an Australian holiday.
The decision to buy Pep Torque has proved fruitful as the horse has now amassed more than $282,000 in stakemoney.
The Lawrences race Pep Torque in partnership with their long-time stable employee Susan Best and Gisborne sisters Christina and Dinah Newman.
“Susan Best has worked tirelessly for our stable so to get another win with this horse for her is really special,” Lawrence said.
If Pep Torque gets to the Kaimai Stakes at Matamata next week it will be the third year in a row that he has contested the race, having finished second to Paisley Park in 2021 and fourth last year.
“He (Pep Torque) is now at the highest rating he’s ever been and he’s a nine-year-old so it is just about placing him as good as we can now,” Lawrence added.
Still on a Derby path
Hastings-trained Rockburn still holds a nomination for the Group 1 $1 million New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Te Rapa on March 4 and the big striding 3-year-old took another step towards that race with a game win at Hastings last week.
The John Bary-trained gelding was having only his fifth start when he outstayed a talented group of 3-year-olds in a $30,000 race over 1600m.
Bary has long held Derby aspirations with Rockburn and the horse signalled he had plenty of ability when cruising to a 1-1/4 length maiden win over 1400m at Hastings in December.
Wet tracks and abandoned race meetings have disrupted the horse’s Derby preparation since and Bary is now running out of time to get the necessary mileage into the horse’s legs before the Derby.
Rockburn was to have stepped up to 2100m at Hastings this Sunday but, with that meeting cancelled because of the extreme weather disruptions, he entered him for the rescheduled Wairoa Cup over 1900m at New Plymouth yesterday.
Rockburn showed a real will to win when scoring a neck victory over Sassyness at last week’s Hawke’s Bay meeting.
Jockey Jonathan Riddell positioned the horse outside the leader Mighty Bright in the early stages and then tracked Sassyness when that horse made a forward move to take up the running going down the back straight.
Sassyness still had a handy lead turning into the home straight but Rockburn quickly went up to challenge and the two horses set down to fight out the finish, with Dimaggio starting to lodge a late claim from the back.
Rockburn kept finding under a vigorous ride from Riddell and staved off the challengers in dogged fashion.
By Iffraaj out of the Centaine mare Wee Tipple, Rockburn is owned by his Masterton breeders Pat and Rosie Laffey, along with several other members of their family.
John Bary and his wife Laura, along with their two children Kobe and Fleur, have taken up a racing share in the gelding and he is the first horse the Bary siblings have raced.
Dee to ride Legarto in Aussie
Former Hastings-based jockey Michael Dee has been booked for the plum ride on top class New Zealand filly Legarto in next month’s Group 1 A$1 million Australian Guineas (1600m).
The Ken and Bev Kelso-trained 3-year-old had a trial over 1000m at Cambridge today and will then head across the Tasman at the end of the month for the March 4 Flemington assignment.
The winner of her first five starts, including the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), Legarto was defeated for the first time when fourth behind Prowess in the Karaka Million Three-year-old Classic (1600m) when she had to endure a troubled run from an inside draw.
Ken Kelso said Legarto had a few days off after the Karaka Million and has been working well since.
“She will have a trial and we also have the option of an exhibition gallop at Matamata plus a trip to Aussie so we won’t be far away.”
Rated an $8 chance for the Australian Guineas, Legarto will now clash with Jacquinot ($4.20), which won the Group 1 C F Orr Stakes (1400m) on protest at Sandown last Saturday.
“He is the horse to beat for sure but it’s hard to measure them up,” Kelso said.
“I think she’s got a lot of ability and she deserves a crack at it.
“She’s won her Group 1 in New Zealand so, if she could run top three over there, it would greatly advance her value.
“We’re pleased to book Michael as he’s riding in great form and he’s ridden well for us in the past on Levante.”
Dee is enjoying his best season in Australia after moving across from New Zealand about eight years ago when an apprentice. Last spring he won the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) aboard Durston and is currently equal fifth on the Melbourne jockeys premiership.
Injury ends Walker’s career
After riding more than 2000 winners in New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore, including 25 victories at the highest level, Kiwi-born jockey Michael Walker has conceded that his career in the saddle is over.
Walker had his final race ride at The Valley last July, before he had a fall at the Pakenham jumpouts in early August, which left him with a brain injury.
“I’ll never be able to return to riding,” Walker said this week.
“With the brain injury, it’s something that I’ll never be able to do again.”
Fatigue and memory issues are two of the main concerns that Walker said he now battles on a regular basis.
“It’s a day-to-day battle with the brain and also I broke my back as well. I still have to go to physio every week and if I don’t its like I could barely walk or pick the kids up.
“Everything that’s happened with this last injury, it’s just changed my life altogether.”
In more positive news for Walker he recently got engaged to his partner Lauren, who has been a pillar of support for him in his ongoing recovery from injury.
Walker has won some of the biggest races on both sides of the Tasman, including the New Zealand Derby three times, two Australian Cups and the Caulfield Guineas.
