Cambridge Quartet - Stonybreck King of Synthetic

In an outstanding training performance, Te Akau horses won every race the team contested at Cambridge on Thursday - winning four of the seven races on the programme - the first of the day came with a horse that just LOVES the synthetic ... Stonybreck ...

Winning like a dominant favourite should, last start course winner Stonybreck (5 g Tavistock – Fair Isle, by Fastnet Rock) proved too strong in the $18,500 Rating 75 1550 metres on 18 September at Cambridge.

Stonybreck had recorded his fifth poly-track victory in the Rating 75 1300 metres on 28 August, in the hands of stable rider Opie Bosson ONZM, and while remaining in the same grade trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson elected to use the four-kilo weight claim of apprentice jockey Rihaan Goyaram.

Successful in his only other ride for the stable, aboard What You Wish For (Embellish) in August at Taupo, Goyaram claimed to 58.5kg on the dual course/distance winner.

In a field reduced to five runners, the race proved somewhat of a formality for Stonybreck as he situated behind stable-mate Beau Brummell (Embellish) in fourth, presented to challenge nearing the home turn was in no danger before scoring by three and a quarter lengths. 

In the race named “All the News at Trackside.co.nz”, Stonybreck ran 1550 metres in 1:32.0 on the poly-track and paid $1.50 & $1.20 on the NZ TAB tote. 

“Obviously he’s got a fantastic record here, the (weight) claim helped because we stayed in Rating 75 grade, and up in trip really suited him today as well,” said Bergerson, from the course. 

“We told Rihaan to stay out of trouble and that he should be good enough, and he was against a field small in numbers. He kept him balanced and he was strong through the line.

“He’s light (Rihaan), it was a big saddle we had to put on Stonybreck, but the four-kilos helped and he looks a promising apprentice who’s coming through the ranks.”

Stonybreck was purchased for $20,000 by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM, from the draft of Pencarrow Stud, at the 2021 Karaka Book 1 Sale, and now won seven races for owners in the Te Akau Northern Scotland Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

From the same draft, Ellis subsequently bought his half-sister for $190,000 at Karaka 2022 Book 1 Sale, and named Star Of Justice (Justify) she won the Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes before being sold online through Gavelhouse.com for $227,500. 

There is no doubting the quality of the family, deep with black type stakes' winners. 

By Fastnet Rock (Danehill), Stonybrek's dam Fair Isle, a winner over 1600 metres in Australia, has now left four individual winners of 11 races, while his grand-dam Miss Scarlatti (Stravinsky) won a Listed race and also strung together second placed finishes in the Group 3 Norman Robinson 2000m, Group 2 Wakefield Stakes 2000m, and Group 1 VRC Oaks 2500m in the space of three starts as a three-year-old.

Her half-sister, Abidewithme (Redoute’s Choice), was trained by Te Akau to record nine wins, including the Group 2 Travis Stakes 2000m, Group 2 Tauranga Stakes 1600m, and was three times Group One placed. 

His third dam Crimson (Zabeel), an impressive winner and Third Top Filly on the NZ 3YO Free Handicaps, produced outstanding form 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), when trained by Jim Gibbs before transferring to Bart Cummings during the latter stages of her career. 

Crimson left winners of fourteen races, while her dam, Bourbon Lassie (Mellay) also produced the stallion Omnicorp (Grosvenor).

Stonybreck was strapped by Kohen Collett.