NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Racing

Racing: Sponsors happy to shout Sargent a celebratory drink

By Mike Dillon
4 Dec, 2005 06:33 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

John Sargent

John Sargent

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Go where you like, you won't find a more relaxed 2-year-old than Naturo, John Sargent's debut Trentham winner on Saturday.

Naturo looked like an old handicapper winning its last race when she worked her way clear of her four rivals in the $10,000 Nobilo Wine Group Stakes.

It was push-button
stuff - Darryl Bradley would be cheeky if he asks for a jockeys' handout.

"Yeah, we knew she was pretty smart, she's showed us plenty at home here," said a delighted Sargent yesterday after two wins at Trentham and a satisfying victory with Kind Return at Avondale.

There should not have been a problem finding something for a celebratory drink - the Naturo sponsors would have shouted the connections and the race Kind Returns won was sponsored by one of the opposition, Matua Valley Wines.

Sargent will give Naturo a start over the holiday period then aim her at the $500,000 Mercedes Classique at Te Rapa in February, a race he won two years ago with Successor, a horse he owned himself.

Sargent's 1600m Trentham maiden winner, Virginie, was a $250,000 yearling purchase at Karaka.

Virginie also looks a serious racehorse in the making, despite being fractionally under-developed.

"She's a typical Montjeu, she's a later developer and she'll be better again as a 4-year-old."

Meantime, though, Sargent has not ruled out aiming the classy filly at an Oaks start at Trentham. "With the Oaks being moved to March it's the best chance she'll have of being ready for it."

The Matamata trainer is looking to get Kind Return into the $200,000 City Of Auckland Cup at Ellerslie on January 1. "She's only on 88 points and she needs more to get into the race, so I'll poke around in handicaps with her rather than run in the fillies and mares race at Te Rapa next week."

Kind Return was unlucky in being denied a clear run in the Breeders Stakes at Ellerslie last week and Sargent wanted the mare kept out of trouble at Avondale on Saturday.

"I told Vinny [Colgan] he was on the best horse in the race and said to ride her accordingly." Colgan dashed the mare clear on the bend and the race was never in doubt.

* * *

There are those who don't believe in track bias. Well, good luck to them.

They can't be idiots because as far as you know they've still got the freight to bet with.

You'd wonder how they explain the two days at Avondale, Wednesday's Cup day and Saturday.

On Wednesday that traditional dry-track leaders bias was very evident. Anything that found the lead was hard to run down and horses that got wide on the bend were committing suicide.

So what happened on Saturday?

When $30 shot Strapped For Cash came from nowhere back in the field to swamp the leaders wide out on the track, punters knew they were in trouble.

The racing pattern was so different from Wednesday.

It was almost as if there was an absence of a leaders bias and the track was racing much more fairly they could win from anywhere.

The anti track bias brigade say a bias is created by the way jockeys ride, by the tempo of a race.

Sure, it makes sense that if something goes mad in front it sets it up for something further back in the field.

But no jockey I spoke to rode any different on Saturday than they did at Wednesday's meeting.

* * *

The second tier of middle distance handicappers in New Zealand has been woeful for a season or two.

Which makes the appearance of former Australian-trained Pretorious extremely welcome.

Pretorious won stylishly at Levin two weeks ago and made them look ordinary when he stepped up to open class at Avondale on Saturday.

More is in store and there are big smiles from those who backed him at long odds in the $200,000 City Of Auckland Cup at Ellerslie on January 1.

It is no surprise Pretorious is a magnificent type.

He brought $500,000 in the ring at Karaka - surely a record for a Volksraad - and was meant to head to Hong Kong, but a minor physical problem undermined that venture.

Breeders Nelson Schick bought him back, brought in partners and the big bloke raced successfully from Brian Mayfield-Smith's Australian stable.

Eventually he got sick of the enclosed regimentation of Australian establishments and the owners returned him to New Zealand and to Jakki Good's Pukekohe stable.

The results are impressive.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Racing

Racing

Bosson in right head space and weight range for racing return

04 Jul 05:00 PM
Racing

Trotters the most realistic Kiwi hope at rejigged Inter Dominion

03 Jul 05:00 PM
Racing

Rival's standing start manners could give Butcher the blues

03 Jul 05:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Racing

Bosson in right head space and weight range for racing return

Bosson in right head space and weight range for racing return

04 Jul 05:00 PM

NZ's champion jockey is coming back to race riding to strengthen the booming local ranks.

Trotters the most realistic Kiwi hope at rejigged Inter Dominion

Trotters the most realistic Kiwi hope at rejigged Inter Dominion

03 Jul 05:00 PM
Rival's standing start manners could give Butcher the blues

Rival's standing start manners could give Butcher the blues

03 Jul 05:00 PM
Marsh attempting to teach old sprinting dog some new tricks

Marsh attempting to teach old sprinting dog some new tricks

03 Jul 05:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP