Wednesday NZ briefs – Grob on the board at Te Teko
Jordan Grob opened his winning account in New Zealand on Wednesday with success aboard the Tony Pike-trained Sacredvista at Te Teko.
The visiting Victorian apprentice, who is enjoying a spell with Michael Moroney and Pam Gerard’s Matamata stable, made the running aboard the daughter of Fastnet Rock, who kicked strongly in the run home to break her maiden in the Ash & Oak Arborists 3YO 1200m.
“It’s good to get the first one, it’s taken a while,” Grob said.
“She’s a nice filly going places and she’s in the right yard.” Pike said Sacredvista, a sister to Long Leaf and from the family of Terravista and Tiger Tees, had trialled well after a freshen-up since last racing.
“She’s strengthening and she’s always showed plenty of ability. Jordan has been coming over to ride trackwork a couple of times a week and he was rewarded with the ride.”
Southern star on target for Group 1
Quality mare Montoya Star has breezed through her impressive Group 3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) victory at Trentham and is on target for higher honours.
“Originally, we were going to run her in an $80,000 here at Riccarton on Saturday, but she’ll definitely be going to Te Aroha now,” co-trainer Michael Pitman said.
The Group 1 Fiber Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes will be next on the list for the High Chaparral five-year-old.
“She’s got an explosive turn of foot and I was very confident with her last Saturday,” Pitman said.
Black type goal for mare
Promising five-year-old Porcelain Princess has been set for the Group 3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2000m) at Awapuni on April 6.
“She’s going well and it looks a nice race for her,” said trainer Fraser Auret, who won the fillies and mares’ event in 2012 with Mini Pearl.
Porcelain Princess has won three of her last five starts and was runner-up at her most recent appearance at Hastings earlier this month. Ahead of the Breeders’ Stakes, she will step out in the Fagan Ford 1600m at Sunday’s Masterton meeting at Tauherenikau.
Stablemates target Champion Stakes Azaboy and Time Lord have been set for the Group 2 Valachi Downs Champion Stakes (2100m) on their home track at Pukekohe on April 21.
Trainer Richard Collett said Azaboy was a gallant last-start sixth after being caught wide from an outside barrier while Time Lord was unplaced in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie where he raced too keenly. Meanwhile, stakes-winning stablemate Untamed Diamond has been turned out to recover from a muscular issue.