Racing: A rich, winning feeling

The last week of racing at Ellerslie has been a staggering period of time for Matamata-based Rich Hill Stud.

Resident stallion Pentire has sired the Group One winning double of the New Zealand Derby (Xcellent) and Railway Handicap (Recurring).

The $200,000 Railway Handicap was taken out in stunning fashion by the Sydney-trained race mare Recurring at Ellerslie yesterday.

The five-year-old uncorked a brutal display of sprint finishing speed down the outer of the track in the home stretch to win by half a length over Gee I Jane and Sedecrem in the Group One feature.

Recurring was bred by Nicholas Brand, an Australian-based client of the stud farm, and was sold for $40,000 as a yearling.

An even greater spin-off for Rich Hill Farm was the fact that Brand leased Donna's Habit, the dam of Recurring, back to the stud farm.

Donna's Habit has two younger sisters bred and owned by the stud farm and is safely back in foal to Pentire, despite being 23 years old.

"It's a staggering achievement for any stallion sire two Group One winners at one racing carnival and over varied distances from 1200 metres to 2400 metres," said Rich Hill Farms managing director John Thompson.

"Donna's Habit is an outstanding broodmare as she's a 23-year-old mare and she's still producing high quality foals.

"We came here today to watch Recurring race in the Railway Handicap and it made the trip up from Matamata worthwhile when you see one of Pentire's progeny win a Group One race.

"This mare's spring form in Melbourne was outstanding and she's come out today, fresh-up after a seven-week spell, and defeated New Zealand's premier sprinters."

Recurring was certainly a handful for winning jockey Hayden Tinsley, dumping him while refusing to co-operate when being led around to the starting gates.

That aggressive attitude was carried over into the race when Recurring reeled in a high-quality field of sprinters on a track whose surface troubled many of her opposition.

Leading Australian trainer Gerald Ryan was not in attendance at yesterday's meeting with stable foreman Matthew Dunn handling the training responsibilities.

"She's a high-class mare with brilliant acceleration and despite her little tantrum before the race on the track I knew she was very well," said Dunn.

"She was good enough two starts to finish second in the Salinger Stakes at Flemington and thats impressive form to bring to New Zealand."

The run of the race was turned in by the second place getter Gee I Jane who made a mess of the start, tailing the field by five lengths.

Gee I Jane gathered in her rivals coming down the home stretch, confirming her title as the new sprint queen.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY