Racing: A toast to new owners

Udiditagain gave her new owners an immediate return when she won the listed Champagne Stakes at Wingatui on Saturday.

Ross and Nancy Stanbury, of Little River, and Jacqui Shaw, of Auckland, joined the ownership of Udiditagain the previous weekend. They share ownership with Jaqui's parents, Kerry and Mary Shaw, of Christchurch after Kevin and Pam Hughes sold their half share in the D'Cash filly.

The Stanburys are friends of the Shaws. Ross Stanbury has raced other horses including the pacer Future Falcon, who won six races before being sold to the United States. He also raced the gallopers My Friend Henry and Candidate.

Kevin and Pam Hughes bred Udiditagain and train her at Riccarton. Udiditagain is the first foal of Tio Iris, a Paris House mare who won four races for the stable.

Kevin Hughes said he would give Udiditagain her next start in the Matamata Breeders' Stakes on February 25, providing he was satisfied with her condition.

"There is a bit of improvement in her," Hughes said.

"She will definitely go to the Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes [April 1] and Matamata if she does well."

Udiditagain dropped out to last in a seven-horse field, improved thee wide to third at the 500m and outfinished the pacemaker Brendel by a nose. Tenko was in a gap of three and three quarter lengths third.

A trip to Matamata would see a rematch with Italia. Udiditagain finished an unlucky second to Italia in the Wakefield Stakes at Trentham. Italia carried on to win the $500,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Classique at Te Rapa.

Brendel, who ran Udiditagain to a nose on Saturday after leading, has the Sires' Stakles at Ellerslie and Awapuni on his programme.

- Otago Daily Times