Weekend Starts with a "Wide" Win

Luckless last time out, Wide Awake (4 g Savabeel - Kay's Awake, by Towkay) made amends with an authoritative win in the $10,000 West Brook Wines Rating 65 1600 metres on Friday at Avondale.

With winning rider Opie Bosson aboard, Wide Awake had produced a big run for second in the Rating 65 1600 metres on 20 October at Tauranga, after an early race check saw him back further than intended.

But no such luck burdened his path on this occasion and the race went to the script that Bosson proposed to Te Akau principal David Ellis before the race.

“An hour before the race, Opie told me exactly how he was going to ride him and he rode Wide Awake to the letter in order to win the race,” Ellis said. “It was a 10 out of 10 ride, honestly.

“He was beautifully ridden and Jamie (Richards) told me he was our best chance today, so as usual he was spot on and all the horses are racing super.”

From barrier four, Bosson secured a position midfield on the inner, eighth, and had Wide Awake trucking along sweetly. Hemmed away and still standing the leader six lengths at the 600m, he was across heels, quickening into the clear a furlong out, before galloping out powerfully under a hands and heels ride.

“It was a very good win and he's a progressive sort of horse,” said Richards, who trains him in partnership with Stephen Autridge who is currently in Melbourne overseeing Gingernuts' 'hit and run' campaign.

“We were scratching our heads a little bit after his run second up but it could have been the off track, and showed he was back near his best when running through the line last time for second.

“He galloped well leading into today and after considering stepping up to 2000 metres following his last run, it was Opie that suggested we keep him at a mile. So it all worked out perfectly. We think he can be successful at Saturday meetings and up to 2000 metres.”

On footing upgraded earlier in the day from Dead5 to Dead4, Wide Awake ran the 1600 metres in 1:36.5, winning by three-quarters of a length, and as favourite returned $3.20 & $1.50 on the NZ TAB tote.

Wide Awake had finished second at his only previous course attempt, before winning his Maiden over a mile, each time with Bosson in the saddle, and the promising galloper has now registered two wins and two places from 10 starts for the Te Akau Wide Awake Syndicate.

“The horse is improving all the time and I think he's going to finish up being an open handicapper next season, so he was very impressive,” Ellis said.

Ellis purchased Wide Awake for $150,000 at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale, from the draft of Monovale Farm, having already bought his half-brothers Alert and Rise ‘N' Shine, both by by Zabeel (Sir Tristram).

Alert was a brilliant trial winner before breaking through as an early three-year-old and going on to race in the NZ Derby, and Rise ‘N' Shine also showed his ability early on at the trials before joining Mark Walker at Te Akau Singapore, where he recorded three wins from his first five starts and $142,000 in stakes' earnings.

“Wide Awake is a horse I bought as a yearling from Monovale Farm, off the Smithies family,” Ellis said.

“They're very good breeders and they breed good horses.  I've actually bought three foals out of this mare. They've all been good horses and I just hope this is the best one.

“I remember Kay's Awake when she was racing against Darci Brahma. She was a top-class mare and it's great to see her continuing the good work as a broodmare.”

His dam, Kay's Awake, showed to be an impressive performer in her career of six wins and was regarded as one of the very best race mares over the past decade in New Zealand, placing twice behind both Darci Brahma (Danehill) and Seachange (Cape Cross) at the highest level.

Wide Awake was strapped by Jamie Richards.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz