A pair of $15,000 Group 2 races form the main support events to Thursday’s huge Waikato hosted Cambridge meeting. The stayers are in action in the Theresa McDonald Memorial Cup over 747m, while the bitches will contest the 457m Lois Henley Memorial Trophy.
Pictured: Teemaria after her Theresa McDonald Cup win last year
THERESA MCDONALD MEMORIAL CUP
The extreme staying races have been warming up over recent weeks and that momentum is likely to continue towards the prestigious Plasterboard Ltd Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar at Manukau in June.
Is there about to be a changing of the guard at the top? Local conditioner Arch Lawrence feels his pair of staying twins are still on top of their game. Shandell has drawn ideally as she attempts to reverse her last start Manawatu 766m defeat to race rival here Thrilling Flo. She has been provided with the ace trap step away from after having led Flo home in their previous clash over 755m at Hatrick.
“I’m confident of a strong race from Shandell. She has come through Palmerston North extra good. She picks the jump best at Cambridge and she has the right draw from where she can hold the rail on Thursday. Sure, she isn’t getting any younger but she retains a real zest for racing,” advised Lawrence.
Litter sister Teemaria won this race last year and she’s seeking to serve up a repeat from the eight trap here. To be blunt she ran a shocker, way below her known ability in her last start Palmerston North 766m outing, tailing the field throughout. Can she bounce back here? Lawrence says, “She’s as good as gold around home. Yes, I’m worried about Palmerston North – the only thing I can put it down to was her lack of racing going into that race. I have worked her up strongly, so we’ll have to wait seen what happens on Thursday.”
The Karen Walsh prepared Thrilling Flo has quickly thrust her paws forward having stated her claim as a leading stayer at the top level. She ran second to Shandell over 755m at Hatrick then she smashed her three rivals in the recent Manawatu $10,000 feature 766m shootout style race.
“We are over the moon with her. She was hindered at Hatrick, then she confirmed her staying promise at Manawatu. I was apprehensive going into that race as that track has been a bit of a bogey venue for her. I was rapt with the way she won that race. She is getting braver in her races and she’s a hundred percent going into Thursday,” confirmed Walsh.
Goldstar Jagger has been matching his paws against the gun stayers lately as seen by his pair of thirds in those 755m and 766m events for his trainers Steve and Bonnie Evans. It is his racing style of using plenty of the track that has prevented him from securing a higher podium position and drawing trap two here isn’t exactly ideal for him. “He has come through his recent racing and travelling really well. His draw isn’t the best for him and his wide racing tendencies don't really help him. In saying that he will keep on giving, so hopefully he can find a handy early position,” said Steve Evans.
Translator is travelling north for Dave and Jean Fahey after having been heavily backed in the TAB markets to win this race. Dave Fahey has identified his recent 755m NZRS Distance final at Hatrick as the turning point for this girl. After that, she returned to her home Addington track to deliver two emphatic 29.87s and 30.31s 520m wins. “She has been a different dog since Wanganui, going super. I feel that race and the trip there has seen her maturing. I’m pretty sure she can run out a strong 747m on Thursday,” her co-trainer said.
Adding real interest to this feature is the presence of the former Australian stayer Tranquil Blossom who is now being prepared by Angela Turnwald. This Wentworth Park 720m winner was huge when delivering her last start Palmerston North 660m second. She was looming into contention when she was virtually stopped in her tracks. From that point, she picked herself up and flew into second there. “It will be interesting to see how she goes up there, especially as she’s taking on hardened stayers. It was a very encouraging Palmerston North effort. Hopefully, she can find the rail handy to the pace as I feel she can’t give them a head start,” suggested the trainer's partner Paul Freeman.
Cawbourne Eski is an enigma chaser. He owns raw ability, but he doesn’t always utilise that talent as seen in his last start Manawatu 660m miss when he occupied the rear group throughout. He is frustrating his trainer Matt Roberts as he explains. “It totally depends on which Eski turns up on Thursday. On his day he is capable of winning a race like this, on the other hand, he can just as easily run last. Yes, he can feature if he’s in the first three early – we’ll just have to wait and see which dog turns up.”
Dyna Alk is venturing north for Canterbury trainer Craig Roberts after having delivered competitive Addington 645m races. He’s trying out an extreme staying distance for the first occasion, which his trainer considers is a venture into the unknown. “I have no idea how he’ll handle it (747m). I guess we’ll know after the race. I can tell you he is as fit as I can get him and his work during training has been great,” said Roberts.
Theresa McDonald Memorial Cup contenders (from left): Shandell, Thrilling Flo, Goldstar Jagger
LOIS HENLEY MEMORIAL TROPHY
The Lois Henley Memorial Trophy is a $15,000 Group 2 457m event for the female chasers which recognises the volumes of administration work at both regional and national level that Lois Henley put in over many years. Thursday’s edition has drawn an extremely, competitive looking field.
Beltom really set the tongues wagging when she produced a searing 25.32s 457m win when making her NZ race debut from the Denis Schofield kennels. She hasn’t gone close to that time since then, however, she has quickly marched up through the grades and is proving to be competitive in her open class assignments. She can give rivals something to think about by hopping away smartly from the seven trap. Kennelmate Gold Class has no option but to use her known early pace when stepping away from trap four. She encountered early traffic issues in last Thursday’s lead in the event which was won by Beltom.
Simple And Plain, from the Ben Craik kennels, owns slick early pace. The recent Railway Sprint finalist has been alternating her race distances. She is proven over this 457m trip as seen by her earning a stake in all four of her races over it. Included is her sound 25.60s best winning 457m time. A quick break from trap six can see her vying for the race lead.
Karen Walsh bookends the field with My Girl Chloe jumping from the ace trap, while Thrilling Hettie will exit from the opposite end of the 457m traps. My Girl Chloe, who has a Group 2, 305m title beside her name, is stepping up in race distance for this assignment. She was also a recent Railway Sprint finalist, who only resumed last Thursday after copping an injury in the Group 1 dash. It was a bold, on the pace 375m, second she delivered which would have topped her off nicely for Thursday.
“I feel she has lost a couple of lengths, although running the 457m isn’t an issue for her. She’s not a brilliant beginner and I would like to see her take an early sit. She’s a pretty tough dog who has a good attitude. We have targeted this race for her and I’m happy with her draw,” confirmed Walsh.
Thrilling Hettie brings winning trap eight form into that trap here, having won both of her previous races from out there. Drawing there provides her with distinct swooping claims after her entirely luckless recent races. “Her draw can certainly help her confidence wise after previously falling from an inside trap. She is a good litter bitch who has ability. I’m expecting her to use her strength during the run home on Thursday,” suggested Walsh.
Cawbourne Kristy and Mina Allen are a pair of Craig Roberts trained Canterbury girls. Both of them trekked north last Thursday with both enduring contrasting 457m races. Cawbourne Kristy, who has recently resumed from a spell, led when rounding the turn then. She was run down by a 1.75 length margin by race rival here Beltom. Mina Allen was badly impeded when going into the turn which effectively terminated her claims. She was a stylish prior Addington 520m winner.
“Cawbourne Kristy has regained her race fitness after a couple of runs back. I reckon if she can get the early race lead the others won’t run her down. I thought her race last week was that of an improver. Completely forget that Mina Allen went around when she was castled. She can be right in it if she gets any sort of luck around the turn this time. Both of them are quality bitches and who are ready for competitive races,” Roberts said.
The drawn field is completed by the locally, Arch Lawrence prepared, Olivia who was also the victim of traffic impeded lead in 457m race last Thursday. She receives an improved draw for this assignment and her stakes earning claim cannot be lightly dismissed. “She tries hard every race and hopefully she will have better luck in this race. I’m happy with her going into it,” said Lawrence.
Lois Henley Memorial Trophy contenders (from left): Beltom, My Girl Chloe, Cawbourne Kristy
Pawnote: The quality Cambridge Thursday racing doesn’t stop with the three carded Group races. For example take a look at the $5,000 Jack Hannon Memorial 457m event. It features the presence of the potent Dave and Jean Fahey trained American Warrior. The NZ Cup title holder grows an extra paw when racing on the big sweeping one turn tracks as seen by the Waikato Cup winner having won all seven of his races around the three New Zealand horseshoe circuits.
By Peter Fenemor
