Summer's Day, brought a ray of sunshine to her connections in the worse conditions at Tauranga, when she won the Listed $50,000 Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic (1400m) on Saturday.
Summer's Day with Vinnie Colgan aboard, trailed favourite Aide Memoire early in the fillies and mares' feature before taking control strolling to the lead just before turning for home, clearing out to win by two and a half lengths. Central Districts visitor Aide Memoire tried hard finishing second and Designated Driver battled away along the inside finishing in third place.
The time 1:35.74, in Heavy 11 conditions was the slowest in the 37 year history of the race.
The daughter of Darci Brahma recorded her fourth win from her last six starts, including winning the Chairman's Trophy at Ellerslie at her last start. The consistent four-year-old mare has finished out of the top four only twice in 17 starts.
"Track conditions were a concern. But she handled it really well. She was always travelling like the winner and she kept going strongly to the line," said part-owner Wayne Pike.
Trainer Tony Pike owns the mare in partnership with his parents Wayne and Vicki, and Lynton Limited. Pike purchased Summer's Day for $30,000 at the Karaka Weanling Sale.
The weight-for-age feature became Pike's 10th stakes win, highlighted with Group One wins with Rangipo in the New Zealand Derby and Provocative and Sacred Elixir over the Tasman.
Summer's Day became the 10th individual stakes winner in New Zealand this season for sire Darci Brahma.
Summer's Day was bred by Helen-Gaye and Graham Bax and Go Bloodstock New Zealand.
Summer's Day has won her last three starts, and now the winner of six, along with six seconds and a third from 17 starts and earned more than $127,000 in prize-money.
