Two Te Rapa Wins

Te Akau NZ trainer Jason Bridgman and our team were on fire at Te Rapa in Wednesday winning the first two races on the Waikato programme.  With the track in terrific conditions, there were full fields and the competition was hot - so were our runners - the first being Vive La Difference -

With the pedigree and type to get over more distance, Vive La Difference (3 f Choisir - L'Artiste, by Peintre Celebre) displayed her natural talent with a huge fresh up win over 1200 metres on September 10 at Te Rapa.

Intended to ride quietly from a wide draw, jockey Matt Cameron had Vive La Difference travelling smoothly in the last four of thirteen runners. In a no panic ride, still some eight lengths off the pace at 600 metres, the chestnut filly was only asked for her best a furlong out and flew home to win going away.

“She got back but once I presented her and gave her one behind the saddle she kicked huge and it was a good effort,” said Cameron.

Vive La Difference had spelled after displaying a good action and stretch for sixth on debut in the Maiden 2YO 1100 metres in April at Matamata. A race in which the horse that finished just ahead of her, De Kensington Oval (Red Giant), went on to win by four lengths next time out. And she looked on song when showing determination to win an 800-metre trial on Aug. 5 at Te Teko, with five lengths back to the third horse.

Bought by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $67,500 at the 2013 New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale, from the draft of Haunui Farm, she impressed Te Akau Singapore trainer Mark Walker at the time of purchase.

“She is a cracking filly,” said Walker. “She oozes class, is very sleek on the walk and her sire, Choisir (Danehill Dancer), was a magnificent sprinter that has been highly successful at stud. We can see this filly trialling early in her career, while also having the scope to train on at three and four."

In charging to a half-length victory, Vive La Difference covered the sprint trip in 1:11.2 on Dead5 footing and returned $5.10 & $2.20 on the NZ TAB.

On the influential female side, her dam, L'Artiste (Peintre Celebre), recorded wins over 1600 and 2000 metres with give in the ground through the autumn months in Melbourne. Emulating the feats of her dam, Glittering Girl (Marscay), who scored over a mile as a two-year-old and recorded four wins over 1600 metres on yielding turf between the months of March and June.

While Choisir (Danehill Dancer) was a Group One winning sprinter in both hemispheres, he has shown his versatility in leaving Historian, Group One winner of the weight-for-age Zabeel Classic over 2000 metres.

With the physical makeup to get over ground, and the pattern of success on her dam-side, Vive La Difference could likely show her owners that whatever she accomplishes through the spring could be topped as an autumn three-year-old.

There was plenty to celebrate as a number of her owners were on course to witness the win including three of the Waikato Racing Club's Board Directors - Gilbert Southworth, John Elstob and Karyn Fenton-Ellis.  Well done to all her happy connections!

Picture credit - www.raceimages.co.nz