Don'tblamethemusic Wins Again

Last start course winner Don'tblamethemusic (5 g Coats Choice - Blame the Music, by Stravinsky) franked the performance with a very good victory in the $20,000 Cambridge Stud Rating 72 1300 metres on 21 September at Taupo.

Notable in providing Te Akau apprentice Nik Bakar with his first winner on 22 August at Taupo, the young jockey has taken to race riding with aplomb. While Don'tblamethemusic was recording his fifth win from only 10 starts, Bakar has now won five races from just nine rides.

“Jamie (Richards) and I bought this horse as a yearling for $22,000 at the South Island Sale,” said Te Akau principal David Ellis. “He won his first two starts and then had a few soundness problems, so we put him aside, gave him a good, long spell and he's come up really well.

“He's a horse that tries very hard and winning half of his ten starts is testament to how much he gives on the track, and Jamie and the staff have done a terrific job in bringing him up to race in this sort of form.

“I'm also thrilled for the owners (Te Akau Musical Syndicate) and it was a fantastic gesture by Cambridge Stud to increase the stake, so thank you very much to everyone involved there.

“It was a lovely ride by Nik (Bakar). He's starting to mature and is growing in confidence. He's very good value with his four-kilo claim at the moment and is halfway to riding out his maximum claim.”

Don'tblamethemusic worked forward soon after the start to situate outside the leader, travelled sweetly, established an advantage when asked to extend at the 200m and came clear to win by 1 ¾ lengths.

“He's a nice horse and very good,” Bakar said. “I know this horse and saved energy all the way. I didn't have to do anything, just three taps and he was going very well.”

Don'tblamethemusic ran the 1300 metres in a smart time: 1:17.5, last 600m in 35.2, and paid handsomely ($7.30 & $2.60) on the NZ TAB tote.

“He had been working up with Avantage and both going very well, so let's hope the luck continues on Saturday with Avantage in the Gold Trail at Hastings,” Ellis said.

Trainer Jamie Richards said: “He came through his last win in great order and it was another very good win. He'd trained on well, been back to Taupo for a gallop in the interim and everything had gone to plan.

“We paired him up with Avantage during the week, so it was a very satisfying win for the owners and he's building a super record. He's looks like he's improving, and very pleased to see the young boy, Nik Bakar, improving and going so well too.

“I thought it was a very good ride, to sit half a length back on the outside, got him into a rhythm, asked him at the right time and put the stick away to push him out hands and heels.

“Our team is doing a great job with him at the main stable, with Tracy (Collis) and Sally (Gillespie), and they've got the horses running really well.”

Don'tblamethemusic has a Northern Dancer cross on both sides of his pedigree, inbreeding to Nureyev on the dam side, and a Zabeel (Sir Tristram) influence as sire of his grand-dam Noubeel.

Don'tblamethemusic was strapped by Tayla Beardsley.

“Tayla is a really top young team member in the making,” Ellis said. “She's got a huge future and looks after a lot of good horses. She's very reliable, is a valuable team member and she's strapped this horse to consecutive wins so congratulations to her.”

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz