It is all set up for an enthralling final for the $15,000 North Island Challenge Stakes after two slippery 457m heats on Monday established the finalists for next Monday’s, Queens Birthday weekend Group 2 decider.

Pic: Handler Robin Wales with North Island Challenge Stakes heat winner American Warrior

First up it was the current NZ Derby title holder Storm Warning who blasted away from the three trap to take control of the pace. It was a race lead that the Lisa Cole trained chaser was never going to hand up as he scampered through his heat assignment to clock a tidy 25.90s.

Resident Djay is a Craig Roberts trained litter brother to last Thursday’s NZ St Leger winner Ride Ain’t Over. He confirmed his strong Victorian one track form by overcoming a degree of early jostling to finish strongly to claim the runner’s up possie, 5.5 lengths behind Storm Warning.

Cawbourne Nath led the initial chase after the pacemaker and he gamely stuck to his task by racing handy to the pace throughout to arrive home a further 2.5 lengths behind in third for Matt Roberts. The Auckland Cup runner-up Paul Dozer settled just in behind the pace-setters and he kicked on stoutly from there winding up just three-quarters of a length behind in fourth to book his return for the final for his conditioner Angela Turnwald. The fifth-placed Cole prepared Map My Run will be the second reserve for the final.

The potent one turn track specialist chaser American Warrior was expected to dominate the second heat for his trainers Dave and Jean Fahey. He duly did so, when after chasing the pace-making Allegro Gun to the first mark he asserted his authority to clear away from his rivals to claim his heat win in a sharp 25.81s by a 3.5 length margin. In doing so he maintained his unbeaten record on the big, sweeping one turn tracks with this being his eleventh victory.

Allegro Gun bravely stuck to his task for Cole and he was rewarded with a place in the final when he claimed the runner’s up position. Charging late at him at the business end was last week’s NZ St Leger winner Ride Ain’t Over for Craig Roberts. He wound up just three-quarters of a length astern in third place.

It was the Matt Roberts prepared Cawbourne Trixy who kicked on soundly to book the last final field position when she arrived home another five lengths behind. The exciting Turnwald trained C2 graded chaser Mija Sydney will occupy the first possie on the reserves bench after his heat fifth placing.
 

North Island Challenge Stakes first heat winner Storm Warning with part owner Barry Stevens and handler Sam Lozell; the first heat post-race podium, along with the second heat podium headed up by American Warrior – pics supplied by Georgie Clark, Palmerston North GRC
 

By Peter Fenemor