Time to Popthebubbles

Te Akau trainer Mark Walker moved to 192 wins this season when Popthebubbles (3 f Wrote - Vickezzlepin, by Pins) easily won the $14,000 Guthrie Bowron Maiden 1600 metres on 23 June at Wanganui.

In the Milan Park colours of Tony Rider, who shares in the breeding and ownership with Rayner & Lynn Bonnington (Little River Thoroughbreds) and Peter Jeffares, Popthebubbles had done well from a handy position for third in the Maiden Fillies & Mares 1400 metres on 7 June at Matamata, appeared suited stepping up in distance, with the blinkers on, and broke through at her fourth start.

Ridden by former Champion Apprentice Kozzi Asano, who combined with stable-mate Romancing The Moon (El Roca) to win the Levin Classic (Gr. 1, 1600m) in March at Trentham, Popthebubbles ended up rearward on the inner. Seven lengths off the leaders at the 600m, she saved ground near the rail to lead 200m out and raced clear to win easing down by six and a quarter lengths.

It was nothing if not extremely compelling, particularly given Heavy9 footing, and could pave the way toward one of three $60,000 ITM/GIB Winter Championship Finals that she is nominated for on Saturday 15 July at Ruakaka.

“She certainly won with a lot of authority,” Walker said. “Getting to a mile for the first time, she really ran out the distance strongly and I think having blinkers on helped her too.

“Given more time she's going to develop into a nice staying mare as a four and five-year-old.”

Looking a treat in her preliminary, Popthebubbles ran 1600 metres in 1:42.0 and paid $7.00 & $2.30 on the NZ TAB tote.

Popthebubbles is from the family of stable-mate Aromatic (Sacred Falls), who recently completed a fabulous six-year-old season. Notably, she provided Walker his 100^th stakes win in the Counties Cup (Gr. 3, 2100m), which began a fabulous stretch of form by the gorgeous grey mare, to brilliantly win the Manawatu Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 3, 2000m), then emulate that success in the Travis Stakes (Gr. 2, 2000m). In addition to three stakes' wins, she included seconds in the Metric Mile (Gr. 3, 1550m), Staphanos Classic (Listed, 1950m), Cuddle Stakes (Gr. 3, 1600m), and was a game third in the Waikato Cup (Gr. 3, 2400m).

Aromatic and Vickezzlepin, the dam of Popthebubbles, are half-sisters, both out of Vickezzchardonnay.

By the highest priced yearling ($3.6m, Don Eduardo (Zabeel)) to ever sell at Karaka, Vickezzchardonnay was an impressive five-time winner from 1600m to 2100m. 

Fifth in the 2008 New Zealand Oaks (Gr. 1, 2400m) and second in the Warstep Stakes (Listed, 2000m) during her three-year-old season, Vickezzchardonnay went on to win the Taranaki Cup (Gr. 3, 2000m), finish third in the NZ Cup (Gr. 2, 3200m), and fourth in the Auckland Cup (Gr. 1, 3200m), Wellington Cup (Gr. 2, 2400m), Travis Stakes (Gr. 2, 2000m), and Rotorua Cup (Gr. 3, 2200m), indicating her genuine attributes. 

Vickezzchardonnay is a half-sister to impressive winning race mare Fifty Fifty (Justice Prevails), who has left seven winners of 15 races including stakes' performer Balham (Don Eduardo). 

Walker has done a great job with Aromatic, a talented filly that broke through effortlessly at her third start as a three-year-old and continued to build a tremendous record, while his experience and knowledge of the family is also to the fore with Popthebubbles.  

Popthebubbles was strapped by Cooper Stumbles. 

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz