Burgundy Rose Blooming Lovely

After winning three Group races on 1 January at Ellerslie, Champion Trainer Jamie Richards kept the ball rolling when Burgundy Rose (4 m Burgundy - Paraiba, by Faltaat) recorded an all-the-way victory in the $11,000 Rating 74 1200 metres on 2 January at Tauranga.

Having resumed with consecutive wins before a close third in the Rating 74 1200 metres on 12 December at Te Rapa, Burgundy Rose was ideally drawn (3), had weight relief to 55.5kg, and she rated a top three chance in the hands of Te Akau apprentice Joe Kamaruddin.

While able to make play in front without too much concern, settling into rhythm, challengers loomed in the home straight but Burgundy Rose lifted with her customary resolve to score well.

It was a good effort by horse and rider, seeing off some recent winners in the process, and extending her record to five wins from 10 starts for the Te Akau Roses Are Red Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).  

On footing rated Dead4, Burgundy Rose ran the 1200 metres in 1:10.8, last 600m 34.5, and as equal fixed odds favourite she returned $2.60. 

“It was a good ride and it worked out well,” Richards said. “She's a natural running mare that can put herself on speed and take bad luck out of the equation. 

“She used a bit of petrol to get across, but I thought Joe (Kamaruddin) did a good job to get a cheap sectional across the top, brought the speed out of the race, and found a good kick. 

“I was really pleased with that and thought she was straight and true going right-handed and capable of continuing to work through the grades. 

“It was another good effort by the team at the Main Stable. She enjoys getting out in a paddock and having a bit of variety, and she's racing like a happy horse.”

Burgundy Rose was bred by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM. “I bought the mare and each year Te Akau breeds up to fifteen mares,” he said. “We like to syndicate what we think are the best two or three and this filly was one of them.

“We've had a terrific amount of success doing it in recent years and numbered a few that have won stakes races, too. 

“She's won fifty percent of her ten starts and not many can say that, so a great result for the owners.

“Jamie has placed her perfectly and I was thrilled for Joe (Kamaruddin), too, who gave her a really good ride. It's exciting to see him getting rewards for his hard work.

“It's incredible to think that Jamie has trained 85 wins in the first five months of the season, chasing a national record of 143, and that he's 50 ahead of the nearest rival in the premiership. 

“It's a combination of having the horsepower, having a great team here at the farm and at the stables in Matamata, and a trainer that is doing an incredible job with each horse.

“I bought Burgundy as a yearling, a three-quarter brother to Darci Brahma whom I'd bought six years earlier. Burgundy was the fastest horse we've ever trained and while he didn't win five Group 1 races like Darci, he did win five stakes' races and was a Group 1 quality horse - no doubt about that.”

Interestingly, the race was sponsored by Gartshore Construction, for whom Richards trained Savy Yong Blonk (Savabeel) to win the $200,000 SkyCity City of Auckland Cup (Gr. 3, 2400m) a day beforehand at Ellerslie. Savy Yong Blonk is bred and owned by Gartshore Bloodstock. 

“It was brilliant to win the SkyCity Auckland Cup for the Gartshore boys yesterday at Ellerslie,” Ellis said. “They and their families got an enormous buzz out of it. Savy Yong Blonk is a terrific mare and richly deserved winning a big race. They put back into racing and I'm extremely grateful and pleased to have won the race they sponsored today at Tauranga, so well done to them.”

Burgundy Rose was strapped by Katija Cherrie.  

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

Back