Another Te Akau Black Type Victory

While bringing very strong form to the race, Abidewithme (4 m Redoute's Choice - Crimson, by Zabeel) still had produce a performance of mammoth proportions to win the Tui Anniversary Handicap (Listed, 1600m) on Saturday Jan. 18 at Trentham.

Notching a hat-trick in victory, and her sixth in nine starts to date, Abidewithme had seen off the subsequent Rich Hill Mill (Gr. 2, 1600m) winner Chintz (Savabeel) with a terrific last start effort to win on Boxing Day at Ellerslie, and once again provided breeder and owner Sir Patrick & Lady Hogan with a huge thrill.

“She drew wide and it's hard from out there, not easy at all,” said Sir Patrick, after the mare had won from barrier fourteen. “Matt (Cameron) was patient on her, got her to the outside and set her alight. It was a huge effort from jockey and horse."

One off in twelfth from the 1300 metres, on a genuine pace, Abidewithme loped along and engulfed the field when winding up a powerful finish wide on the track to win.

Abidewithme scored by a long head in a slick time of 1:33.93 for the 1600 metres, returned $4.70 & $2.00 on the NZ TAB and took her stakes earnings to $111,300.

“She's a good mare and it was a huge effort from the draw,” said Te Akau trainer Jason Bridgman, who saddled Glad (Pins) to win the corresponding race last year.

“We've had the fortune of Cambridge Stud and Sir Patrick allowing us to be patient with her. We gave her a very light spring preparation and this race was always the target.

“She has always had the ability but now starting to put it all together and on a day when they haven't made a lot of ground she has done very well to get up,” said Bridgman.

"She has handled good ground in the past, so I was confident she would get away with it but how she comes out of it will be the concern.

“It's her second listed win in just nine starts, so she obviously has it all ahead of her and next season I think we could see her develop into a Group One horse with a bit of luck,” said Bridgman.

Abidewithme had displayed her ability to run sharp time when running 1:22.23 to win the Ray Coupland Stakes (Listed, 1400m) as a three-year-old.

“It was a good pace, for a change, rather than sit and sprint,” said jockey Matt Cameron. “She's a really good horse; the speed suited us and once she got wound up she really unleashed. She is genuine, tries hard and has only got better as she's got older. She went to sleep in the run but once clear she just kept giving.

Sir Patrick & Lady Hogan also bred her impressive winning dam Crimson (Zabeel), who was trained by Jim Gibbs before transferring to Bart Cummings during the latter stages of her career. A winner fresh-up over 1400 metres as a three-year-old, Crimson went on to produce outstanding form through the spring, winning the Waikato Guineas (Gr. 3, 1600m) and finishing second in the Avondale Guineas (Gr. 2, 2000m), before victory in the Grosvenor Championship Stakes (Gr. 2, 2100m) at Ellerslie. Her dam, Bourbon Lassie (Mellay) also produced the stallion Omnicorp (Grosvenor).

“Crimson (Zabeel) has always left weak foals and they have taken time to mature, so as a three-year-old Jason (Bridgman) said to me she has to have the spring off just to furnish,” said Sir Patrick.

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