Racing: Group win fitting reward

James McDonald is starting to develop a sick feeling in his stomach over the closing 100m of a race - particularly when he is riding against Kane Smith.

New Zealand's premier apprentice jockey has been the rider the betting public have followed religiously this season following a series of stunning winning performances.

McDonald has forged a great strike rate with the Te Awamutu-trained

Occidentalis but this combination has been soundly beaten in their last two starts by My Astron and Smith.

My Astron unleashed a blistering home stretch sprint to reel in the gallant pace-making Sir Slick and

Occidentalis to win the Group Two $150,000 First Sovereign Trust Japan/New Zealand Trophy at Tauranga.

Sir Slick raced yesterday with his usual front-running power and was tracked in every stride by Occidentalis and McDonald who were parked outside the leader.

Smith had My Astron tucked away in a soft sit close to the leaders and waited until the field had climbed the small rise in the home straight before asking his charge to sprint.

My Astron produced a blistering sprint to gain a neck victory over the top weight Sir Slick with a further short neck back to Occidentalis (third).

Vonusti and Pinsoir were runners to make ground from the back of the field to finish in fourth and sixth positions respectively.

My Astron has been hugely under-rated throughout his career while racing from the Waipukurau stable of Kelly Burne scoring six wins and 10 minor placings from 25 starts.

A Group Two victory was a fitting reward for an outstanding display of training peaking the 5-year-old perfectly to win the 1600m feature.

NO ONE could begrudge the connections of Casa de Campo a well-deserved victory at Tauranga yesterday when the 6-year-old scored a determined victory in the $50,000 Bay Of Plenty Cup.

Casa de Campo lost his rider in his last start in the home stretch when contesting the Group One Auckland Cup at Ellerslie.

The 6-year-old had better luck this time capitalising on a dream sit behind the pace setting Spectacular Icon and producing a sustained finish along the inner to defeat that runner by a half-length. A further short neck away third was Dezigna.

Trained at Ruakaka by Donna, Dean Logan and Chris Gibbs, Casa de Campo has been a good performer scoring six wins and five minor placings from 25 starts.

GRAND AFFAIR has a liking for 1600m races as punters found out.

The 4-year-old was well-rated on front throughout by Michael Coleman and waged a brutal stride-for-stride battled over the closing 100m with the locally-trained Lily L'Amour holding off that runner by a short head.

A further three-quarters of a length away in third position was Justacross.

Grand Affair has scored three of her four career wins over 1600m and victory was a timely turnaround in form for the Richard Yuill-trained mare.