Three from Three at Ashburton

On a wonderful day in the south for Te Akau - trainer Jamie Richards sent three of the tangerine team to the races at Ashburton and every one of them returned home a winner!  The first, the lovely mare Swing Note ...

Stakes' placed Swing Note (4 m Encosta De Lago - Andallthatjazz, by Bianconi) proved too good for her opponents when resuming with a four-length win in the Barneswood Farm Stakes Day 20 October Rating 72 1400 metres on 30 August at Ashburton.

Given the strength of her form and having looked good when finishing first and second respectively in two recent trials, Swing Note warranted her hot favouritism ($1.60 & $1.30) in a five horse field.

Given a nice tempo, Swing Note positioned fifth on the outer and made her run widest in the straight before asserting at the 200m and going on to score easily for Te Akau apprentice Nik Bakar, who gained his first win aboard stable-mate Don'tblamethemusic (Coats Choice) last Wednesday at Taupo.

Swing Note was also pleasing after the line, running on strongly, which augurs well for her stepping up in distance.

Overseeing the South Island team for trainer Jamie Richards, Paul Richards was pleased with the result.

“She's going to develop into a staying mare, getting back and got home and that's what we wanted to see,” he said. “She placed in a couple of fillies races last year, so she's well above average.”

Richards reported that the initial four horses to arrive down South, Swing Note, Summer Monsoon (Stratum), Bak Da Master (Mastercraftsman), and Publicist (Redoute's Choice), had all travelled well and eaten well.

A very athletic mare that won last spring at Riccarton, Swing Note followed with a third in the Zacinto Stakes (Listed, 1600m) and notable fifth in the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) on the same course. 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). Swing Note is owned by the Te Akau Jazz Syndicate.

“It was a lovely start to our South Island programme this year and we sent Swing Note down having identified the Spring Classic (Listed, 2000m) at the end of October,” said Ellis, of a race Te Akau has won three times in recent years with Viana (Volksraad), Wolfwhistle (O'Reilly) and Grazia (Savabeel).

“Swing Note is a genuine black-type mare and I think her races as a three-year-old showed that.  I was also delighted for our young apprentice Nik Bakar who recorded his second win from just his third ride ."

“She's been beautifully brought to hand by Jamie (Richards) and looked an absolute picture. We thought we'd send her down nice and early, get her settled, and we know you get better tracks down there through September and October than we do in the North. So, that's the reasoning for taking her South."

"We have a lovely team of owners in this mare including Donna and Robert Rudd who were involved in all three of our Ashburton wins today.  Also involved is my future son-in-law Hamish Hayes as our daughter Julia-Rose bought him a share in Swing Note as a birthday present when I bought the filly."

Ellis said another half dozen horses were preparing to head South on Friday morning, from Matamata.

“Mason Stevens is taking them down and he will be joined by young Joe Stan, as well. And, of course, the team are all being looked after by Paul Richards, so we're really lucky to have those high-quality staff.

“Swing Note is a filly I bought for unbelievable value on the Gold Coast, and by my one of my all-time favourite stallions in Encosta De Lago. We really have had some top horses by Encosta De Lago, none more so than Princess Coup and more recently 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 was bred by Stuey Ramsey, a good friend of mine. He's a big cattle farmer in Queensland, and also owns Turangga Stud in the Hunter Valley.

“What I love seeing, is horses doing well in the spring because all the staff worked unbelievably hard in difficult conditions through the winter to have the horses looking the part and it's just such a thrill for them and the owners when they win,” Ellis added.

Trainer Jamie Richards said: “We had the race picked out for a little while to kick her off. She's a handy mare that enjoyed the South Island last year and we'd like to think she can work through again to some black-type races.

“I'm also really pleased for Nik (Bakar), that's three rides for two winners and he's put in a lot of hard work and it's good to support and give the apprentices every chance.”

Swing Note was strapped by Paul Richards.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz