Our Abbadean Caps Big Autumn

The Informant reports:

Our Abbadean signed off a lucrative autumn campaign when she combined with former star Singapore apprentice Shafiq Rusof for victory in the Gr. 2 Travis Stakes at Te Rapa today.

The five-year-old has always had ability, as illustrated by three wins and a number of placings in light initial preparations, but just lately she has really hit form with a string of career-best performances.

That run began when, off a rating of 78, she won a minor open handicap at Trentham in early March. She then made the big step up to Group Two company with a hard-fought win in the Awapuni Gold Cup and followed that with a brave second to Richie McHorse in the Listed Hawke's Bay Cup when conceding 5.5 kilos.

In today's fillies and mares' weight-for-age contest she carried 57kg and made light of the impost as she finished over the top of her rivals to claim victory by half a length.

China Star kept finding from her spot in the trail to take second from the pacemaker Nicoletta. The beaten lot included Thee Auld Floozie, who weakened to sixth after being ridden forward, and the favourite Cote D'Or, who went back to last from the outside gate and never got into the action.

“She's really come solid lately and shown what's capable of,” commented co-trainer Jamie Richards. “She's one of those mares that's inclined to tie up if we don't keep the work and racing up to her, so the space we've been able to give her between races has worked out well.”

Richards' training partner Stephen Autridge joined in praising the ride of 31-year-old “Suppy” Rusof, who found a perfect spot midfield behind a good tempo.

“We had time to sit at home this morning and watch all the racing shows describe how the place to be would be midfield one out,” Autridge. “Suppy got it just right, he couldn't have done it better.

“Even when it came to making his run he kept her in the right place, not too wide out and the mare did the rest.

“That's probably her for now, she's done a big job. She can go to the paddock and hopefully we'll get her back for the big races in the spring.”

Rusof began his apprenticeship with Te Akau Racing during Mark Walker's tenure, winning three races over two seasons at the end of last decade, and went back when Walker relocated to Singapore and won two apprentice titles.

His move back to New Zealand several weeks ago has proven very fruitful, with today's win his eighth from 22 rides in that time and his first in a black-type race.

Although she is trained in Matamata, Our Abbadean's win In the headline race on the Cambridge Jockey Club's major annual raceday had a definite local flavour.

She is raced by her breeders, the Hawkins family's Llanhennock Trust and will eventually join the broodmare band at their Karapiro thoroughbred nursery, Wentwood Grange.

“It means a lot to win this race,” said the family patriarch Des Hawkins. “We've always wanted to have a runner, so to win it with a mare we bred ourselves is a huge thrill.”