Shine Like a Diamond

www.stuff.co.nz reports  ...

Jonathan Riddell is three from three for Te Akau Racing after landing a big one for the powerhouse operation at Ellerslie on Saturday.

The talented horseman got the call to accompany Heroic Valour in Saturday's Group I Diamond Stakes when the stable's number one rider Matthew Cameron chose to ride stablemate Sassy 'N' Smart.

The Te Akau team was counting their lucky stars when Riddell produced a perfect ride to land the spoils in the $200,000 race on the unbeaten $18 shot.

The win was a great result for the Awapuni jockey, whose recent wins on Te Akau runners Bordeaux and Echezeaux were the forerunner to a perfect hat-trick in the familiar colours.

"He's a lovely horse, full of raw power," said Riddell. "It was a really good win. He's just so strong and the race turned out very well for us."

From barrier nine Riddell asked the Fastnet Rock colt for an early effort and landed him in the coveted one out, one back spot.

From there he swooped and had the class to hold the opposition at bay for a valuable win to maintain his unbeaten record in three starts.

A $400,000 Karaka yearling he is the first juvenile stakes winner for Australian-based sire Fastnet Rock and impressed Te Akau principal David Ellis to the extent he returned to Karaka this summer and bought his full-brother for $510,000 before Heroic Valour had raced.

The excitement builds to his next and final two-year-old outing in the Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes at Awapuni in three weeks' time.

"He was flat managing the 1200 metres today but he's just going to love the 1400 at Awapuni," said Stephen Autridge who co-trains the colt with Jamie Richards.

"He's a colt with a lot of potential for next season and by the time the 2000 Guineas comes around in the spring he will be a lovely horse," Ellis said.

Wyndspelle ran a huge race for second and could be missing from Awapuni, instead venturing to Sydney with the Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs team.

"There are races there over 1400m and 1600m which will really suit him. He's going to love getting over more ground and we were thrilled with his run today," Logan said.

O'Rachael fought well for third and was gathering ground on the line ahead of stablemate Tennessee in fourth.

The other McKee and Chippendale runner, race favourite Xiong Feng, tailed the field throughout after possibly striking himself at the jump.

"He never felt right in the running," said jockey Danielle Johnson.

A post-race veterinary examination revealed no abnormalities.

The race connections have in mind before a break, is the Group I Manawatu Sires Produce (1400m) on April 2 at Awapuni.

Iffraaj colt Wyndspelle is unlikely to be in the race.

Co-trainer Donna Logan has plans to take the promising youngster to Sydney where she thinks there are suitable races for him.

"There are races there over 1400m and 1600m which will really suit him. He's going to love getting over more ground and we were thrilled with his run today."

Favourite Xiong Feng disappointed when trailing the field home apparently feeking the affects of shin soreness.