Race One:
Otago Racing Club at Wingatui. Weather: fine. Track: heavy 10; rail out 4m from 1500 to 950m, then out 3m
Grand Casino, rating 75, $18,500, 1600m. Proudtobehere lived up to her name when she won narrowly. It was her third win at Wingatui in eight starts since joining the stable of Terry and Debbie Kennedy. She raced close up on the outer, led at the 300m and held off Sight To See, who came along the inner from last of five to win by a long neck with three parts of a length to stablemate Sacred Mist.
Race Two:
Nellies Wine Bar and Restaurant Maiden, $18,500, 1600m
Fast Impact (Akshay Baloo) held on to win narrowly after making the pace. The Staphanos gelding trained at Rangiora by Bridget Woodsford (wife of the winning jockey) stalled off Valstar, who ran on strongly from sixth. Sanjay Balloo, of Ireland. uncle of the jockey is in the ownership of Fast Impact.
Race Three:
More FM Maiden, $18,500, 1200m
Dink, who joined the Invercargill stable of Robert Dennis six weeks ago from the North Island, won in dashing style. The 5yr-old Swiss Ace mare sped the starting gates in the hands of Ashlee Strawbridge, made the pace and came clear to win by a length and three quarters.
Race Four:
Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Maiden, $18,500, fillies and mares, 1200m
Cooper Stumbles, the Matamata apprentice jockey, won his first race with his Dunedin parents, Grant and Maria Stumbles on hand for the success of Ripa Time.
It was on the track where his grandfather, John Dowling and great -grandfather, Hector Anderton rode winners. Cooper (19) was having his 13th race ride since he began race riding nine weeks ago.
He was third earlier in the day on Sacred Mist, part-owned by his parents.
He sat patiently on Ripa Time when making the pace and resisted pressure on the home turn. Ripa Time, trained by Kelvin Tyler at Riverton, came ahead in the closing stages.
His grandfather John Dowling numbered the 1963 Dunedin Cup on Palisade and 1975 White Robe Lodge Handicap on Rebel Lad at Wingatui. He was the first apprentice to top a New Zealand jockeys’ premiership with 70 wins in the 1963-64 season. He won 955 races in NZ and others in Queensland.
Hector Anderton rode Cartoon to win the Otago Steeplechase in 1927 and the same race on Red Lance in 1936.
Cooper’s mother, Maria is the sister of Paula, Sean and Cherie, who won races as jockeys.
Race Five:
Property Brokers, $18,500, rating 75, 1200m
Veterans, owner-trainer Maurice Forde and jockey Terry Moseley combined to cause at upset win with another veteran Megalomaniac. It was the 10th win for 9yr-old Megalomaniac, who had his previous win at Wingatui in April.
Race Six:
Positive Signs + Print, $18,500, rating 65, 1200m.
Hollyhockaroo, having her first start for 11 months and her first from the stable of Terry and Debbie Kennedy, won clearly. The Time Test mare had won her previous start at Washdyke when trained by David Walsh. She was sent to the Kennedys by Hawke’s Bay owner Ian Hollway to give her more opportunities on turf tracks. Hollyhockaroo, who settled at the rear, came wide on the track in the hands of Sima Mxothwa to win by two lengths.
Race Seven:
KB Contractors Handicap, $18,500, rating 60, 1400m
Santita was sensational when she came from last of 13 at the 500m and eight lengths from the lead to win decisively in the hands of Ashlee Strawbridge. The 5yr-old Redwood mare joined the Invercargill stable of Robert Dennis after her previous start at Ruakaka on July 18.
Race Eight:
Otago Engineering, rating 65, $18,500, 1600m
Rockman, the lone mount of the day for Daniel Bothamley, led throughout to win for owners Ray Chalkin and the Icon Boys syndicate. and trainer Shankar Muniandy. Rockman stalled off the game Shamel Express.