Winner: Stonybreck's Easter Cup

Securing a third win on the programme for premiership leading trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, Stonybreck (6 g Tavistock – Fair Isle, by Fastnet Rock) took out the $80,000 Avon City Ford Easter Cup (Open Handicap, 1600m) with a comprehensive performance on Saturday at Riccarton.

Impressive when recording his eighth win earlier in the season at Riccarton, Stonybreck had finished close fourth after racing handily in the Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) there on 11 April, and brought the right form to rate a top three chance from barrier two.

Ridden again by Opie Bosson ONZM, who was aboard last time and recorded his third win on the card for Te Akau, Stonybreck ended up midfield on the inner after being tardily away, but aided by a genuine pace, he was able to descend on the leaders once clear at the 300m and went on to score with plenty of authority.

“He bungled the start a little bit, but it probably put us into the perfect spot. He travelled beautifully, we got a nice track through, and it was just a matter of holding him up and letting him go that last bit. He was just too strong in the end.

“He’d been running well, really trying hard, and he goes on all sorts of tracks as well. He’s a very consistent horse.

“It’s been good coming down here to ride a really nice bunch of horses and Hunter (Durrant) and the team do a great job with them. It’s a pleasure to ride them.”

Winning by one length, from a wall of horses for the minors, Stonybreck ran 1600 metres in 1:36.2, last 600m in 33.7 (approx.), and drifted in betting to pay $7.80 & $2.30 on the NZ TAB tote. 

On course, assistant trainer Hunter Durrant said: “It was a great win and I’m so pleased for the connections, he’s been in such great form.

“We’re always confident with him. It was another nice field he’s bumped into today and it’s great to see him race so genuinely in his older age.”

A good horse from the outset and debut winner, Stonybreck appears in career best form to have now won twice at Open Handicap level, and nine times in total.  

“It was a really good effort to win, today, after being a bit slowly away, but he relaxed nicely, got a nice run through, came out at the right time and he was very strong through the line,” Walker said.

“He’s built up a lovely record, winning nine races, and for a horse that only cost $20,000 as a yearling, he’s given the owners many thrills throughout his career. He’s sound and he is going well enough to expect that he can win more races.”

Stonybreck was purchased for $20,000 by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM, from the draft of Pencarrow Stud, at the 2021 Karaka Book 1 Sale, and is owned by the Te Akau Northern Scotland Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

“He wasn’t an expensive purchase, despite being from a really good family, and he’s only one shy of taking his wins in double figures,” Ellis said.

“Horses like him that are so consistent and regularly win are great for the owners to be involved in, and Stonybreck really fits the bill.

“We’ve had an amazing day at Riccarton, with three winners, including Zafar on debut in the Listed Champagne Stakes, and it’s great to see our stable rider Opie Bosson in such good form.

“It’s never easy for Opie to make some of these weights, but he tries so hard, and he’s such a high-class rider. He’s the best, he’s proven that with over 100 Group One wins.

“It’s a big thrill to win both feature races on the day and we love racing at Riccarton. It’s a good-sized course, in the Spring they get only half the rainfall that we get up North, so they have good tracks a bit earlier, usually, and we’ve had a great record to win the 1000 Guineas and 2000 Guineas seven times each.

“We’ve got some really nice two-year-olds for the Guineas races in the spring, including Zafar and System Of Play (Ole Kirk), a horse we bought at the Ready to Run Sale in November, and the Sires’ (Gr. 1, 1400m) winner Seize The Day (I Am Invincible).

“The wins today took the season tally to 122 for Mark (Walker) and Sam (Bergerson), so we’re on target to maybe beat the total from last year (131) and everyone can be very proud of the work they're doing. 

“Karyn and I certainly are and it’s another really good season for the owners, getting close to $8 million in prize money in New Zealand alone. With our Australian stable added in, that's over $11 million won for our owners this season.”

From the same draft, Ellis subsequently bought his half-sister for $190,000 at Karaka 2022 Book 1 Sale. Named Star Of Justice (Justify) she won the Barneswood Farm Stakes (Gr. 3, 1400m) before being sold online through Gavelhouse.com for $227,500. 

There is no doubting the quality of the family, which runs deep with black type stakes' winners. 

By Fastnet Rock (Danehill), his dam Fair Isle, a winner over 1600 metres in Australia, has now left four individual winners of 13 races, while grand-dam Miss Scarlatti (Stravinsky) won a Listed race and also strung together second placed finishes in the Group 3 Norman Robinson (2000m), Group 2 Wakefield Stakes (2000m), and Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) in the space of three starts as a three-year-old.

Her half-sister, Abidewithme (Redoute’s Choice), was trained by Te Akau to record nine wins, including the Group 2 Travis Stakes (2000m), Group 2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m), and she was three times Group One placed. 

Third dam Crimson (Zabeel), an impressive winner and Third Top Filly on the NZ 3YO Free Handicaps, won the Group 2 Grosvenor Championship Stakes (2100m), Group 3 Waikato Guineas (1600m), and finished second in the Group 2 Avondale Guineas (2000m), when trained by Jim Gibbs before transferring to Bart Cummings during the latter stages of her career. 

Crimson left winners of fourteen races, while her dam, Bourbon Lassie (Mellay) also produced the stallion Omnicorp (Grosvenor).

Stonybreck was strapped by Ruby Rae-Wood. 

Photo credit - Ajay Berry - www.raceimages.co.nz