Gee Whiz Gingernuts - It's Win 90

Gingernuts (2 g Iffraaj - Double Elle, by Generous) may have earned himself a tilt at the $50,000 Castletown Stakes (Listed, 1200m) on  June 4 at Wanganui, after his second up win in the PGG Wrightson 2YO 1300 metres on May 19 at Hastings.

In the Castletown Stakes last year, Stella Di Paco (Paco Boy) provided Jamie Richards with his first winner and in partnership with Stephen Autridge the pair leads the training premiership with 90 wins this season.

Although proving awkward through the run for jockey Matt Cameron, Gingernuts balanced up to pounce on the leaders at the 150m and won with his ears pricked in the finish.

Owned by the Te Akau Gingernuts Syndicate (Mgr: D C Ellis), Gingernuts had finished strongly for second on debut to impressive winning stable-mate Hall of Fame (Savabeel) in the Maiden 2YO 1200 metres at Pukekohe. With that performance ensuring favouritism and he closed at $2.70 & $1.10 on the tote.

Gingernuts - stable named Jerry - was purchased by David Ellis from the draft of Stainley Park at the 2015 Ready to Run sale at Karaka - and cost just $42,500.

“He was green as grass, but might be alright,” said Richards.

“He is a nice horse on the way up and will improve a lot with another break, but while he's going well we may as well have a crack."

Out of Double Elle, who recorded four of her five wins on slow footing in Australia, Richards suggested Gingernuts was ‘a chance' of handling the prospect of slower track conditions.

“There are some nice owners here, and he's another promising horse that Dave (Ellis) bought out of the Ready to Run Sale.

Coincidentally, Double Elle recorded her first win at a similar time of year: May 20 (2006) over 1200 metres, with all of her victories coming between the months of May and August, and these traits can often be seen extended to their progeny - such being the case Gingernuts.

Helping put the syndicate together, Blair Alexander was preparing for lunch with a client and ‘maybe some bubbles'.

“We watched it at work in the cafe on the big screen and basically brought the house down, and two hundred other people wondered what was going on,” said Alexander.

“If they didn't know before, they know now that we've got a racehorse. That first time thrill of winning a race....they can't work this afternoon.

“The congratulations have been nonstop and there are so many people in this horse that are first time owners, wanting to know how much they should put on the horse and I had a look at the TAB and thought you've all spent way too much money because he was paying $1.70.

“For a two-year-old race midweek; and I know he ran second first up behind a pretty good one, but anything can happen. That's just a reflection of their excitement.

“David (Ellis) said to me that he'd bought the horse and that ‘he might be a good one for you and your friends'. So, I had a look at the Ready to Run Breeze Up, talked to Matt (Cameron) and thought that he probably had the goods after he ran up as good as anything on the day.

“I thought we might be able to commit to half (the horse), but in the end we ended up with a waiting list of people wanting to come aboard.

“We got some non-racing people in and they were actually the ones that spread the word.

“He's (Gingernuts) come a long way in a short time and while he's probably more of a three-year-old he's progressed really quickly and it's one of the advantages of buying a ready to runner for a group of people new to racing.

“It is a bonus to be able to race as a two-year-old, so it's within six months of purchase is the reality and all you have to do is give people a taste and they become hooked on their own.

“They start to understand what it's all about and the next time they buy a horse they might buy a yearling, but a like buying a new toy - you want to play with it - and a six month wait has been perfect for these guys.  They've gone through the months of debate about suggesting names for the horse, going to the trials, and all of a sudden we're at the races.

“It's good for Te Akau, too, to have young, fresh people in their brand.

“The association is that David (Ellis) goes to the sales and spends up large, and then has to find owners, but on the flip side some of these people have paid a thousand dollars to be in the horse and experience the joy of winning. It's that easy,” said Alexander.

Gingernuts was strapped by Wiremu Pinn.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

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