Winner: Charm Rose Radiant

Given a great ride by Opie Bosson ONZM, Charmrose (5 m Charm Spirit – Sovereign Rose, by Pins) won the $55,000 Elsdon Park Rating 75 1200 metres on 20 March at Pukekohe.

Charmrose had done well to finish fourth after skewing sideways when the gates opened in the Rating 75 1100 metres on 1 March at Trentham, and rated a top three chance. 

A winner already in Rating 75 grade, with three victories to 1200 metres, Charmrose had proved best when put in the race and Bosson seized the opportunity to lead from barrier one. 

Despite carrying equal top weight (59kg) and being eyeballed from the outset by Perfect Dividends (Overshare), Charmrose still had a length advantage at the 200m and once shown the persuader by Bosson she refused to lie down - she is one of the most tenacious marks you could find.

It was another very good win by the strong-chested sprinting mare and a first-class ride by the Champion Jockey in New Zealand, who in February recorded his 100th Group One win – joining Kiwi jockeys Jim Cassidy and James McDonald as the only ones to achieve the feat.

“It was a terrific effort to win and an excellent ride by Opie,” said Mark Walker, partner with Sam Bergerson, after the premiership leaders recorded their 98th win this season.

“She was taken on in front and with 59-kilos on her back it was a great effort to fight them off. It was Opie Bosson at his best, allowing the challengers to come up alongside while knowing he had a bit more up his sleeve. 

“She’s developing into a really useful mare now for David and Nicky Hurst. It was her fourth win and it’s taken her prize money over $100,000. 

“It’s really satisfying to train winners for them. They’ve been great friends of Te Akau’s for a long, long, time, going right back to the days of King’s Chapel and Maroofity, who were multiple Group One winners and a Horse of the Year that they shared in.

“She’ll be up into Open company now, Charmrose, and we’ll sort out some suitable black type races for her.”

On Good4 footing, Charmrose ran 1200 metres in 1:09.4, last 600m in 34.1 (approx.), and paid $5.10 & $2.10 on the NZ TAB tote. 

The win by Charmrose came in the race after Te Akau apprentice Hayley Hassman celebrated her 50th win aboard stable-mate Savoir Faire (Savabeel) in the Open Handicap 2100 metres, while in the following race, ironically, it was Bosson, on Lupo Solitario (Satono Aladdin), that defeated Hassman aboard Te Akau-trained Zantabulous (Almanzor) by half a head. 

Bred and owned by Dave and Nicky Hurst, and now the winner of four races to 1200 metres, Charmrose is out of Sovereign Rose (Pins), who was purchased for them by David Ellis CNZM as a yearling at Karaka, and who won four times from 1600m – 2100m.

Like Charmrose, Sovereign Rose recorded her first win as a four-year-old and carried on winning until she was six.

Sovereign Rose is from Pavan (Centaine), who finished second to million-dollar earner Tycoon Lil (Last Tycoon) in the 1998 Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), and also runner-up in the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2000m). 

Pavan left seven individual winners of 31 races, including eight-time winner Yours (Van Nistelrooy), while also being a half-sister to talented stakes' winning mare Felenic (Cape Cross).

The family has also left top Australian galloper Spacecraft (Star Way), the winner of ten races.

“Dave and Nicky are great farmers, love their stock and their horses and they’ve owned horses with Te Akau for many years,” Ellis said. 

“The first syndicate they came into was King’s Chapel, who won the equivalent race that is now the Karaka Millions - he also the 2000 Guineas, Telegraph, three Group One races in total. As a three year old he was named Champion 3YO, Champion Sprinter/Miler and New Zealand Horse of the Year all in the one season, before standing at stud.

“They were also in one of our Champion Two-Year-Olds, Maroofity, who won three Group One races, and Costa Viva who won the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas and became New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year.

“Charmrose shows that the cross has worked really well with the Windsor Park stallion Charm Spirit. Out of another mare, Seductive D’Oro, they’ve got a nice two-year-old (Sword Of D’oro) by Sword Of State, who was a Champion Two-Year-Old for us and he's flying in his stud duties at Cambridge Stud.

“Sword of State topped the sale with one of his colts this year at Karaka, a beautiful colt that we were underbidders on at $1,050,000, and the Sword Of State colt Warwoven looks to have a good chance in the Golden Slipper (Gr. 1, 1200m) tomorrow (Saturday) at Rosehill.

“The team is going really well and we’re so proud of the way that Sam (Bergerson) and Reece (Trumper) are running the team at Matamata, and Hunter at Riccarton, when Mark (Walker) is overseeing our stable in Melbourne.

“Sam, Reece and Hunter are three young guys who are incredibly dedicated, and I doubt that any young trainer has come into the game and trained over 100 winners in each of his first three seasons, like Sam has. 

“I just came in off the farm in time to see Charmrose win after watching Savoir Faire in a place I could get coverage, and we’ve been busy with people coming to see the yearlings that we bought on the Gold Coast and at Karaka.

“They’re all loving the good weather and thriving in the big paddocks we’ve got for them, and I’m sure they’ll be plenty of black type winners amongst them. It’s an exciting time as many are now starting to be broken in and getting them into the stables for their first educational prep at Matamata is always something we all look forward to.

“People can go to our website to see the shares we’ve got available and they’re more than welcome to give me a call to discuss what’s on their mind about them.”

Charmrose was strapped by Megan Fenwick. 

Photo credit - Kenton Wright - www.raceimages.co.nz