Flaming Hot at Riccarton

Impressive winning as a two-year-old over 1200 metres on good footing at Te Rapa, Flaming (4 m Bachelor Duke - Flying Firebird, by Stravinsky) staged a massive performance to take out the $18,500 Plough Hotel Rating 75 1200 metres on Saturday at Riccarton.

Having franked her juvenile form with a slashing fresh up run for second in the Gold Trial Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m) last season at Hastings, trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards pulled the right rein after considering the idea of lining up in a lesser race last Saturday at Wingatui.

With a plan to settle her off the pace from barrier nine, jockey David Walsh was not quite able to secure the smother intended and coursed widest into the straight. But once asked to extend at the 250m she dug in relentlessly to get up in close five way finish.

On Good3 footing, she ran the 1200 metres in 1:10.1, last 600m in 34.8, and paid $6.20 & $2.40 on the NZ TAB.

Overseeing the Te Akau team based at Riccarton, much of the credit must go to assistant trainer Pam Gerard who has spent an enormous amount of time prepping the mare.

“David (Walsh) has been riding her in training and we've been working her dropping off,” said Gerard.

“Walshy rode her that way and he said it was a ‘really tough win' after facing the breeze most the way, so I'm relieved that she's done it. She never blew a match out and you wouldn't believe how much I've done with her down here - walking and swimming - in addition to her normal work."

Owned by the Te Akau Flaming Syndicate, Flaming was ‘good buying' when David Ellis secured her for $60,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale in 2011, from the draft of The Oaks Stud.

Her dam, Flying Firebird, had done a fantastic job in producing the Eight Carat (Gr. 2, 1600m) winner Smoulder (Traditionally), who also won the Great Northern Foal Stakes (Listed, 1400m), finished third in the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m), second in the Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m), third in the Foxbridge Plate (Gr. 3, 1200m) and second in the Seymour Cup (Listed, 1600m). While the brother to Flaming, Shanghai Bund (Bachelor Duke), showed plenty of ability winning his second start as a two-year-old over 1200 metres before finishing fourth in both the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) and Levin Classic (Gr. 1, 1600m) and has since won in Australia.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz