Winner: Shiatsu Synthetic Super

A course/distance winner on debut, Shiatsu (4 m Swiss Ace – Perform A Miracle, by More Than Ready) won the $17,000 Waikato Tractors Rating 65 1300 metres on 20 May at Cambridge (poly-track).

Consistent through the trials stage before an all-the-way win first-up, when winning by four-and-a-quarter lengths, Shiatsu had tired after racing outside a genuine pace in the Rating 65 1400 metres on 1 May at Pukekohe, but received an opportunity to improve with a decent trip from barrier eight.

Put on pace again, outside leader and race favourite Miss Moet All (Russian Revolution), Shiatsu appeared to have the measure of her rival turning for home and kept going strongly for jockey Samantha Collett after gaining an advantage mid-straight.

“She won her Maiden race here in good enough fashion and she’d put in a couple of fair runs this time in before coming back to the synthetic (poly-track),” Collett said. 

“She popped herself into the right spot and she was really willing to dig deep, late. 

“I was confident enough that the horse on the fence (Miss Moet All) would take us far enough into it, and it was a good, tough, effort.”

It was also a solid performance by stable-mate Colonel Warden (Russian Revolution) to finish fifth after being posted wide.

“It’s always good to win races for Gerry Harvey (Westbury Stud) in his famous colours,” said Mark Walker, training partner with Sam Bergerson. “He does so much for the New Zealand racing industry – Gerry and Westbury Stud. 

“Sam (Collett) summed it up nicely to sit on the pace, it was a good ride and she’s made a great return to race riding in New Zealand. 

"Shiatsu has now won both her starts on the poly-track and there will be good opportunities and prize money available for her to continue on the synthetic surfaces, and she has what it takes to win more races.”

On course, assistant trainer, Reece Trumper said: “She (Shiatsu) had put in a couple of ordinary performances while she was building up fitness.

“She jumped out well, we knew Tayla Mitchell (Miss Moet All) would lead, she kept her cool and was dominant.”

Regarding Colonel Warden, a three-time winner with a good record on poly-tracks, Trumper added: “He got trapped on a limb, but he fought on. He’s getting back to form and he just needs to draw a nice barrier and get a nice run in transit.”

On the poly-track, Shiatsu won by three-quarters of a length, ran 1300 metres in 1:17.8, last 600m in 33.9 (approx.), and paid $6.10 & $2.10 on the NZ TAB tote. 

Somewhat of an unsung hero in the Westbury Stud stallion roster, the sire of Shiatsu, Swiss Ace (Secret Savings), commenced stud duties in 2010, is still going, and his progeny just keep on delivering. 

His 412 individual winners have combined to win over 1200 races, including 37 stakes wins, headed by Railway Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) winner Julius. 

As a bread-and-bread producer, Swiss Ace continues to serve the NZ stallion ranks very well. 

Shiatsu has a particularly rich dam-side pedigree. Incredibly, world renowned dam-sire More Than Ready (Southern Halo) is one of only six stallions to have sired in excess of 200 stakes winners, with 26 Group One winners among them. He has been Champion Sire in both hemispheres, proved an outstanding sire of sires and continues going from strength-to-strength as a broodmare sire.

The second and third dam are by Champion Sires Encosta de Lago (Fairy King) and Danehill (Danzig), respectively, while fourth dam, talented race mare and top producer St. Klaire (Bletchingly) is from the incomparable Eight Carat family. 

Shiatsu has a bloodline cross of immortal sires Mr. Prospector and Norther Dancer. 

Shiatsu was strapped by Rashid Alam.

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