IN Racing
Strong Report - 1st May
Taylor Strong | May 01, 2022
Shankar Muniandy

Race 1

Stella Creek was untroubled to win the Nellie’s Restaurant 1600m. Stella Creek (Shankar Muniandy) settled fourth on the outer in the five-horse field and dashed home in the straight to win by a length and a quarter. It was her second win for Stella Creek since she joined the stable of Wingatui trainer Terry Kennedy this season. She won as a 3yr-old and finished third in the Canterbury Belle Stakes last season when trained by Terri Rae. She was then away from racing for 12 months after having bone chips removed from a knee.

Photo: The connections of Stella Creek after her win: Stephanie Bransgrove (now Anderson with 13-month-old Adam), Janice Pulley, Debbie Kennedy, Tony Gow, Ray Chalklin, Stephen Pulley, and trainer Terry Kennedy.

 

Race 2

Zendora  won the Nellie’s Bar Maiden 1600m at her fourth start since joining the Invercargill stable of Jo-Anne Dalton

Zendora had been placed in five of her nine starts in the North Island. Zendora is a 4yr-old mare by Medaglia D’Oro, who has sired twenty-six group one winners worldwide. Zendora stands at a fee of $100,000 at Darley America in Kentucky.

Photo: Zendora wins narrowly for Ginty’s Girl.

 

Race 3

Jimmy Five completed back-to-back wins for trainer Jo-Anne Dalton, owners, Alan, and Kerry Harper, of Queenstown and Tom and Julie Kilkelly, of Invercargill, and jockey Samantha Wynne in the Liquorland Mosgiel 1600m. They had won the previous race with Zendora. Both horses are raced on lease from the Cambridge Stud operated by Brendan and Jo Lindsay. Jimmy Five was having his sixth start for Dalton after joining the stable in February. The Jimmy Choux  4yr-old won at Tauranga in December 2020 when trained by Moira and Kieran Murdoch.

Photo: Jimmy Five with jockey Samantha Wynne and trainer Jo-Anne Dalton.

 

Race 4

Beau Stitch was a decisive winner of the Bob Cunningham Local 1200m. He raced outside his stablemate, Cause Celebre who made the pace, assumed control at the 350m, and came ahead in the closing stages to win by a length and a half. “He is a nice horse,” said his trainer, Paul Harris. Beau Stitch, a Per Incanto 5yr-old has now won three races.

Photo: Beau Stitch (Kavish Chowdhoory) wins decisively.

ace 5

Olena had respite from thoughts of her family in war-ravaged Ukraine when Choux In won the Liquorland Mosgiel 2200m. Olena (surname withheld to protect her family) was alongside her husband, Alex, who accompanied Choux into Wingatui in his capacity as a stable supervisor for Woodland’s trainer, Robert Dennis.  Olena rejoined her husband six weeks ago after being separated for two and a half years. She needed to undertake a 17,000-kilometre journey.

“Olena is settling in, but we think about our family all the time,” said Alex, who has worked for Dennis for three years. Choux In was stepping up to 2200m in the Liquorland Mosgiel rating 65 and held on by a nose after racing handy to the pace and leading at the 350m. It was the third win for the 4yr-old mare raced by the Roaring Hoarse syndicate.

Photo: Olena with her husband, Alex, jockey Krishna Mudhoo and Choux In.

 

Race 6

Shankar Muniandy had his first win as a trainer with the first horse he has had to the races, She’s An Ace, who was having her first start. Muniandy, who has had success as a jockey in New Zealand on the flat and over jumps and won a group one race in Malaysia, has been training at Wingatui racecourse for about three months. “I  have 10 in work, three racehorses and the others are pre-trainers or being broken in,’’ said Muniandy, who returned to Wingatui late last year after a time in Malaysia. “She’s An Ace is not an easy horse to train. I have had help from a lot of people especially trainer Terry Kennedy.” Muniandy rode Stella Creek to win for the Kennedy stable yesterday. She’s An Ace, a 4yr-old mare by Swiss Ace from the Postponed mare, Mistwood joined the stable about two months ago from breeder, Gollan Farming Ltd. She is raced by Graeme Anderson, Ray Chalkin, Tony Gow, and Stephen Pulley, who are also in the ownership of Stella Creek. “ Graeme bought her, and I had never seen her until today,” said Pulley. Anderson was attending the Wyndham workouts with a pacer.

Photo: Shankar Muniandy after his win with She’s An Ace.

 

Race 7

 

Galileo Express led his rivals a merry chase in the Nellie’s Bar Saturday Cocktail Nights Maiden 1400m. The 4yr-old, ridden by Brandon May, is trained at Washdyke by Bruce Tapper and Varma Ramhit. Galileo Express who won at Washdyke on Thursday mastered a two-kilogram re-handicap when he carried 60kg. The Shameexpress 4yr-old is raced by Tapper and breeder Ivan Grieve, of Hastings. The same combination won four races with Supatwista.

Photo: Galileo Express (Brandon May) is flying at the finish.

 

Race 8

 

Double Prosperity completed a double for Rangiora trainer Paul Harris in the Liquorland Mosgiel 1400m. Harris won earlier in the day with Beau Stitch. Ian Hudson is in the ownership of both horses. “Ian has been with me since day one. He raced Slinky Planet and Senorita Dane,” said Harris. Slinky Planet won nine races, the last at Riccarton in 2004. Senorita Dane won the 2005 Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham.

Photo: Double Prosperity (Brandon May) with trainer Paul Harris and stable hand Jess Roberts.