| FEATURE RACE COMMENT |
YEAR: 1992
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| Lindsay & Pam Turner pose with Oaks winner Tigerish |
Tigerish, the youngest in the field, and the only chestnut, had too many guns for Rarity and 12 others in the $45,000 Nevele R Stud New Zealand Oaks. Such was her dominance that she looks a good thing to extend her Autumn record at Addington by winning the $135,000 DB Draught Fillies Final, especially from an ideal spot on the front line of the gate.
There was no surprise about last week's result, even though Rarity narrowed the margin back with a lightning burst to a length at the end. Tigerish squandered a wide break half-way along the straight through her little habit of easing up when close to the wire. "She pulled up a bit on me," reported driver James Stormont later. "My plan was simply to follow Rarity out. Once I got to the front I thought I might have got attacked but 3:17 for the trip (2600m mobile) kept them busy," he said. Trainer Lindsay Turner wasn't surprised to see her dodge some of the workload when there was still a bit of business to do. "She will be as lazy as anything if you let her, and it's the same with her work at home," he said. The fastest for the race has been Adina Bebe's 3:16 set in 1989, and the only others under 3:17 have been Young Eden and Julie Vance.
Turner, aged 36, has spent most of his life in the retail industry, employed for 15 years in Australia by Coles-Myer, and more recently in New Zealand as sales manager for FDC in Manakau City. The ability of Tigerish to earn Lindsay and his wife Pam around $240,000 in 14 months has been one of the reasons he has left the shop counter and concentrated on handling horses. They now have two small properties at Pukekohe,one for the agistment of stock, and the other where they have built a new barn to prepare yearlings for sale and wean foals. One horse that won't be in the barn is Tigerish, which is entirely paddock-trained.
Safely through Saturday's classic, Tigerish - a $2,000 buy at the 1990 International Yearling Sale - will be booked on a suitable flight to Brisbane for the Queensland and Australian Derbies, both in July. In the Oaks, the second line draw posed no problems for Tigerish, though it did for Pay Me Back, which broke and lost all chance when Delkedra - later relegated to fifth - upset her. This time she has drawn 11 but will start from the front - as will Pay Me Back - and wise heads won't be needed to reckon that Stormont will steer for the lead. If that is the case, and the others batten down the hatches, Smooth Performer's race record of 2:27.8 will be safe for another year. On Friday night Tigerish will have four fresh rivals against her: Kurahaupo Pride, Amenable, Nicola Mary and Tuapeka Dancer, which fill the places left by Kinski, Chicaboo, Lady's Day, Russley Fancy and Maude's Gift. Her main rivals, going on the Oaks form, will be Rarity and Cut The Cake, which suffered a hard run and took it well, and two Vance Hanover fillies that missed a start in the Oaks, Tuapeka Dancer and Kurahaupo Pride.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly
YEAR: 1992
 |
| Katrina Purdon receives the Derby trophy |
Kiwi Scooter was rugged the winner of the $150,000 John Brandon 30 New Zealand Derby. Australian visitor Lotsnlots again found the Roy and Barry Purdon - trained gelding superior but ran gamely for second, and the filly Tigerish put up a run that would have won 99 out of 100 races for a gaining third.
The 3:13.6 for the mobile 2600 was the third fastest Derby run - behind Master Musician's 3:13.5 and Winning Blue Chip's 3:12.2 - which was the type of race Kiwi Scooter wanted. Barry Purdon has always promoted staying power as Kiwi Scooter's best weapon and the hectic pace set by Clever Legend and Jimmy Curtin could not have suited him more.
While not the quickest out, the son of Direct Scooter left the gate at good speed and kept handy for the first 400 metres. Some early sprints, including a blinder from Lotsnlots near the 1900 metres, forced him back in the field, and near the 1400m Purdon decided to employ the grinding tactics that worked so well in his win the previous week. "He can get out of the gate quick, but it seems better to settle him. He doesn't run out of gas that way," said Barry. On the corner as Lotsnlots tried to apprehend him, Kiwi Scooter pulled away, and went on to win in very convincing fashion.
Tigerish, all class, came from far back for a close third to win $15,000 and Harmers Choice, while looking an unlucky fourth was apparently not because driver David Butcher said he doubted whether the horse was capable of finishing any closer. Master Blaster a worthy third on the middle night, was taken back from the gate at the start, and was never in the hunt afterwards.
Kiwi Scooter was not an easy horse to handle early in his career, though Barry did not connect it with the fact he had one testicle. "I thought he was a rig. When his other testicle came down, his attitude seemed to improve," he said.
Kiwi Scooter, now starting a spell from racing, is on c8, the same mark as Tigerish. Barry said it was "ridiculous" that after just two seasons of racing and about 20 starts each, both horses would go into open class racing. "It's tough on them. There should be a limit on how farthey can go at this age, say c7 for the colts and c6for a filly," he said.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly
YEAR: 1993
 |
| Chokin outlasts Master Musician in the Free-For-All. |
The scratching of stablemate Two Under on the morning of the race was a significant factor in Chokin joining a long line of NZ Cup/Free-For-All double winners. Two Under's late withdrawal with a stone bruise meant Chokin was the only second line starter, allowing Tony Herlihy the choice of which horse to follow from the mobile.
Herlihy was well aware that Tigerish, from barrier three, had plenty of gate speed and a brief chat prior to the race with James Stormont confirmed their intentions. Pre-race predictions that Chokin would follow out Giovanetto from the pole and wind up at best three back on the fence in the early part proved totally unfounded as Chokin scored up behind Tigerish and received a charmed run through to the one-one behind his biggest threat Master Musician. From that point the result was never in doubt, although Master Musician fought tenaciously to the line to lose by a long neck. "That's the way it goes. They are both great horses and if the runs had been reversed on both days, so would the results," reflected Robert Dunn afterwards. "Maybe we'll have better luck in the Miracle Mile," he added.
Like the NZ Cup, the Air New Zealand sponsored Free-For-All was a relatively tame affair. Both Herlihy and Dunn were surprised they had run the journey in 2:25.9, with the final half in 56.2 and quarter in 26.8. "It didn't really feel that quick and I didn't push things much because I felt our only chance of beating Chokin was to outsprint him from the furlong," said Dunn. However those plans went awry when he was left alone in front at the 450m by the galloping Tigerish, who upset the chances of Giovanetto and Sogo. The latter was a surprise early favourite for the race due to an All-Up bet. "I saw her prick her ears at something on the track and then she tried to jump it," said Stormont. The Stipendiary Stewards later comfirmed it was a lost whip.
Master Musician and Chokin then engaged in a classic stretch duel, with the latter always holding a norrow advantage - Herlihy quiet and confident in the silky. They were out by three lengths at the finish fron Christopher Vance, who had tracked Chokin, with half a head to Giovanetto. Blossom Lady was next in, valiantly trying to make ground three wide from the 800m after settling towards the rear. Two unlucky races during the week netted her connections $17,000.
Chokin's double was worth $230,000 and took his earnings close to $800,000, the result of 23 wins in 35 starts. The 5-year-old Vance Hanover gelding remains unbeaten in nine starts at Addington.
Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HR Weekly