Swing Note Wins Back to Back

The $1.35 to win indicated enormous support, suitably justified when Swing Note (4 m Encosta De Lago - Andallthatjazz, by Bianconi) won the $11,000 Mouse Kennedy Rating 72 1600 metres on 13 September at Wingatui.

Remaining in the same grade after winning a fortnight ago by four lengths over 1400 metres at Ashburton, stepping to a mile seemed ideal and the race appeared in safekeeping from the outset.

Te Akau apprentice Nik Bakar, who scored a day earlier on stable-mate Seirios (Pierro) at Matamata, enhanced his record to enviable four wins from five rides, including back-to-back wins on Swing Note.

Beginning smoothly to secure a perfect run in the trail, on a dawdling pace, Bakar wisely took bad luck out of the equation when presenting Swing Note into the clear at the 400m. She rounded up tiring pacemaker Lord Beaver (Keeper) at the 200m and proceeded to cruise away for an effortless 3 ¼ length victory.

On Slow8 footing, Swing Note ran the 1600 metres in 1:42.2, quickening up in 35.6 for the final 600m.

“She'd trained on well since winning at Ashburton, and the team has been very happy with her,” said trainer Jamie Richards. “She's had a couple of runs in a fortnight, so no need to rush and hopefully she can hold her form when we step her up in a better class of race.

“It was another nice ride by Nik (Bakar), who is improving all the time and it's very handy to have his four-kilo allowance.”

Last season, Swing Note finished third in the Zacinto Stakes (Listed, 1600m) and notable fifth in the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m), both at Riccarton - superior form to any of her rivals - and now won three races for the Te Akau Jazz Syndicate.

She was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $60,000 from the draft of Turangga Farm at the 2016 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, a sale where he also bought Champion Two-Year-Old finalist Gold Fever (Savabeel).

“She's really come on this season and I think Jamie's (Richards) decision to send her South and gain confidence, after a couple of hard races as a three-year-old was very astute,” Ellis said.

“Young Nik (Bakar) has got a fantastic record. He rode her beautifully, got her balanced in the straight before he asked her to go, which is what I liked about it, and he's got a really good future.

“Swing Note ran some great races at three and now developing into a lovely mare, and we've got some terrific owners in her, including Hamish Hayes who is engaged to Julia-Rose (Ellis), our marketing and social media manager.

“She's a filly I bought for unbelievable value on the Gold Coast, by one of my favourite stallions Encosta De Lago. We've had some top horses by Encosta De Lago, none more so than Princess Coup, and Costa Viva, Echezeaux, and Imperium. She's out of a very good mare that won the South Australian Guineas and she'll make a fantastic broodmare in years to come, especially as Encosta De Lago is the leading broodmare sire in this part of the world.

“She's being looked after in the south by Paul Richards. He told me that she would go another top race. He couldn't have been happier with her and he was spot on.

“The Richards' family has a great association with the Otago Racing Club. Paul has ridden and trained so many winners on the course and Leanne (Richards) was a past Club President, so it's great for all the family.”

Ellis has been pleased with the decision to race horses in the South Island.

“The Waikato has been waterlogged and you get better tracks down there,” he said. “They get nice early springs in Canterbury, warm weather and the horses just thrive.”

Two from two this time in, Swing Note could work towards the $50,000 Spring Classic (Listed, 2000m) at Riccarton, 27 October, a race Te Akau has won three times in recent years with Viana (Volksraad), Wolfwhistle (O'Reilly), and Grazia (Savabeel).

Swing Note was strapped by Meg Lambert, who reported after the race: “She had a good trip down (from Riccarton), settled well overnight and we were really happy with her”.