NZ Spring Racing - Hawke's Bay

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The end of the depressing and bleak winter racing is in sight here in New Zealand, with the first day of Hawke's Bay's massive spring meeting, which culminates on October 6 with the $2 million Kelt Capital Stakes, only two weeks away. That day will see the running of the first leg of the unofficial triple crown for older horses, the Mudgway Stakes (1400m, weight-for-age).

Some of the leading Mudgway contenders are coming out tomorrow in the Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa in Hamilton before heading south to the Bay.

The $1.75 favourite in the Foxbridge is Seachange (17:10-2-3), who won two legs of the Hastings treble last year and according to trainer Ralph Manning is "a much stronger and fitter horse" this time. That's a tad scary for her opponents!

But she has to beat last year's Foxbridge winner Bulginbaah, Cog Hill (1st, 2nd or 3rd in 25 of his 32 races), classy mare Sarajay and a multiple G2-winning three year-old filly of last season in Veloce Bella.

Some other Mudgway contenders such as Jokers Wild, J'Adane, Splashing Out, Oaks winner Princess Coup and iron horse Sir Slick are all expected to run at the Taupo trials next Tuesday.

So exciting to have all these horses back in action! Can't wait to go on a road trip down to Hawke's Bay for the Kelt for the 8th year in a row, always one of the highlights of my year.

I'll keep you up to date with the races and maybe post some of the articles I write for the Hawke's Bay newspaper once that meeting starts.

[my miss storm cat]

Oh cool!

I like Joker's Wild. Not familiar with some of the others you've mentioned so can't wait to hear more.

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Foxbridge Plate day was a bit crappy. I drove down to Hamilton expecting the day to be a celebration of spring racing starting, but instead it was winter racing at its worst!

There was torrential rain all day and the Te Rapa track was a total bog - some race times included 1:43 for a mile, 2:14 for 1600m (1m 2f) and 1:29 for the Foxbridge (1400/7 furlongs).

And the first 2 home in the Foxbridge were mudders, Baltaine and Aimee's Idol. No disrespect to those two good horses, but it was an awesome field and they were in the 2nd half of the field in terms of ability. Cog Hill went a brave race for 3rd, just ahead of Bulginbaah and Seachange.

Seachange never handled the ground, but hit the lead at the top of the stretch and fought really bravely, was only about 2 lengths behind the winner at the end. I just hope this tough race didn't take too much out of her, the Mudgway's only 2 weeks away.

There was some good racing today, and I loved seeing good handicapper Cape Kinaveral win an undercard race, but the bad weather, disappointing result in the Foxbridge and worst of all a horse having to be put down in another one of the undercard races ruined it for me.

[my miss storm cat]

Good for Seachange (next time) and sorry you had to see one leave us.....

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Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

sorry you had to see one leave us.....

It never gets any easier, does it? I hate it.

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Stunning field for the Mudgway on the opening day of the meeting.

4:30
MUDGWAY STAKES
G1
1400m
$250,000

1 2110X Sir Slick 16 113 59.0 Graeme Nicholson, Te Aroha
2 8X153 Cog Hill 19 111 59.0 Michael Walker Richard Collett & Shane Hapeta, Pukekohe Park
3 72224 Bulginbaah 9 107 59.0 Jim Collett Ken Cropp & Catherine Wilson, Wanganui
4 413X8 Bonjour 8 100 59.0 Noel Harris Karen Zimmerman, Otaki
5 2360X Jokers Wild 14 101 58.5 Michael Coleman Mike & Paul Moroney, Matamata
6 12X15 Seachange 10 110 56.5 Gavin McKeon Ralph Manning, Cambridge
7 4022X Gaze 15 105 56.5 Mark Hills Roger James, Cambridge
8 17X80 Hasta La Ciao Ciao 1 103 56.5 David Walsh Roger James, Cambridge
9 351X7 Sarajay 2 101 56.5 Darryl Bradley John Sargent, Matamata
10 10X32 Aimee's Idol 13 100 56.5 Sam Spratt Vince Roberts, Ruakaka
11 3364X Kay's Awake 3 100 56.5 Cameron Lammas Peter McKay, Matamata
12 8310X Splashing Out 11 96 56.0 Guy Lowry, Hastings
13 49112 Porotene Gem 7 94 56.0 Kevin Gray, Copper Belt Lodge, Palmerston North
14 211X6 Princess Coup (AUS) 5 94 56.0 Chris Johnson Mark Walker, Matamata
15 13223 J'Adane 4 88 56.0 Russell Cameron & Gareth McRae, Pukekohe Park
16 2100X The Pooka (AUS) 6 83 51.0 Lisa Cropp John Wheeler, New Plymouth
Emergencies:
17 77X11 Who Knows 12 101 59.0 Natalie Tanner, Muriwai Beach
18 1983X Vercors 17 96 56.5 Graeme Rogerson & Garry Newham, Tuhikaramea
19 3X9X6 Irish Rover 18 103 59.0 Robert Hannam Eddie Carson, Trentham

Just to help you out with some you may not be familiar with:

SIR SLICK - Won 3 G1s in a row last season, got within a head of a fourth.
COG HILL - In the first five 30 times in his 33-race career.
JOKERS WILD - Dual G1 winner, placed at G1 in Australia (beating Haradasun and Efficient)
SEACHANGE - 4-time G1 winner, aiming to be first horse in history to win Mudgway two years in a row.
GAZE - Multiple G2 winner in NZ and Australia.
SARAJAY - 3-length G2 winner at the end of last season, twice placed in G1s.
KAY'S AWAKE - Twice placed at G1 level.
SPLASHING OUT - Stakes winner in Australia.
POROTENE GEM - G1 winner last season, beating Jokers Wild.
PRINCESS COUP - Won the Oaks by 4 lengths last season.
J'ADANE - G2-placed in Australia.
THE POOKA - A three year old in this company...ambitious. Won a G2 by 8 lengths last season though.

The undercard fields are amazing too, and the weather forecast is for fine weather right through to Sunday so it looks like the start of spring racing.

Now to try to work out some selections for the newspaper.