It was billed as a festival weekend of tri-code racing and the inaugural City of Palmerston North Gold Cup racing certainly delivered on all expectations.
Pictured: American Warrior following his Palmerston North Gold Cup victory
The activities freely flowed right from the Thursday evening Jimmy Barnes concert through to the wrap up at the Awapuni Racecourse on Saturday evening.
The greyhound component saw nine high-quality races, with stakes ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 being decided over the 457m, 660m, and 766m race distances. The later portion of the greyhound card was duo-coded with the Harness action. Three very impressive Gold Cups were provided to the connections of the respective tri-code Palmerston North Gold Cup winners, all sponsored by Kamada Park.
The greyhound version was a newly instigated Group 2 event with a $15,000 stake over 457m. The warm favourite for the invitation race was the Dave and Jean Fahey prepared American Warrior who had produced strong previous 457m wins on the similarly shaped one turn Ascot Park and Cambridge tracks. The current NZ Cup title holder drew nicely (for his racing style) in trap seven.
It was the Lisa Cole trained Timma Turtle who hopped away smartly from the ace trap to set up the initial pace. Kennelmate Allegro Gun pushed forward during the early rush from the opposite end of the traps. After being moderately away, American Warrior quickly punched up to get involved with the pace entering the big, sweeping bend.
He mastered Timma Turtle early during the run home and scampered clear to lodge his 26.26s 457m win by a length and a half margin. Timma Turtle was bold when holding down second place. It was a real eye-catching NZ debut effort produced by the C2 graded, Cole prepared, Storm Warning. He was a tad slow from the traps and was caught up in early traffic. He then found a racing passage when rounding the turn from where he finished strongly to claim third another 2.25 lengths behind.
Allegro Gun ultimately finished in sixth place and doing so he was the first Kiwi bred greyhound to finish in the Group 2 event, therefore providing his breeders Lisa and Brendon Cole with the NZ Breeders’ bonus payment.
“I thought it was a brave race by him after he got buffeted early. It wasn’t until they turned for home when I thought, yes he can win it,” advised co-trainer Dave Fahey. Win it he did and in doing so he provided the Fahey training partnership with their 50th training success at Group 2 level. The Black type victory brought the couple closer to an absolute stunning training milestone. Included in their training successes are 47 races at Group 1 level, plus they have one Group 3 title, won by them at Wentworth Park in Sydney.
The Whittington Spud owned American Warrior maintained his unblemished record on the one turn tracks with this being his seventh. He advanced his career stake earnings out to $133,315, the result of 27 wins, 12 minor placings from his 47 career races. “I’m not sure where he will go from here – aside from grade racing there’s nothing really available to him for a while,” advised Fahey.
The Greyhound and Harness Palmerston North Gold Cups; Representatives from Kamada Park presented handler Steve Evans with the Palmerston North Gold Cup; the full post-race Palmerston North Gold Cup podium
American Warrior also landed a group of Manawatu harness drivers ten percent of the winning stake ($825) after their representative Scott Phelan lodged a $700 bid to secure a ten percent owing share in the greyhound for the race. Trackside presenter Steve ‘the auctioneer’ Davis was the greyhound ambassador for the meeting which included him auctioneering ten percent ownership shares in both American Warrior and Shandell, who was sold for $800 for her $10,000 766m staying event (finishing second, earning Sarah Voyce $250).
All proceeds were donated to the Rebecca Black Trust, formed to support her three children after the jockey was tragically killed in a racing incident last December. It was a great display of the three codes working in together. “It is a very worthy cause and we (drivers) wanted to make a contribution towards it,” said Phelan.
Steve ‘the auctioneer’ Davis auctioneering a ten percent greyhound share, Successful bidders’ representative Scott Phelan with the Palmerston North Gold Cup won by American Warrior and being interviewed by Steve Davis post race.
By Peter Fenemor
