It has been a long time between celebratory drinks for Hawke's Bay couple John and Lucy Scoular but their long trip to Te Aroha last Sunday certainly proved worthwhile.
The Scoulars have been long time thoroughbred owners and breeders and are extremely passionate about the industry. So, when their horse Runny Honey was entered for a $10,000 maiden hurdle race at last Sunday's Te Aroha meeting, they decided they had to be there to see her run.
The couple, both in their 80s, attended the Hawke's Bay-Tasman rugby game at Napier's McLean Park on Saturday night before getting up in the early hours of Sunday morning and heading off to Te Aroha.
Runny Honey lined up in the second race on the 11-race programme and they managed to make it to the track in time.
The High Chaparral mare's form credentials were hardly that inspiring. She was having her fourth hurdle start, the first three resulting in fourth placings before she had been pulled up in the final stages of her most recent run, over 3100m at Riccarton.
Jockey Aaron Kuru took Runny Honey straight to the front in last Sunday's 3100m event and dictated the pace, which was pedestrian in the early stages. He stacked the field up behind him until the last 1000m before asking his mount to accelerate.
Runny Honey had a good break on the field rounding the home turn and, apart from dipping badly on landing over the second to last fence, she always held a good advantage over her rivals and won by four-and-a-half lengths.
Runny Honey has now won two races, the first being in a 1200m maiden race at Woodville in November 2014. She is prepared by Hastings trainer Paul Nelson, who said he had his doubts whether the mare would be able to cope with the heavy-11 track conditions at Te Aroha.
"But the fact that the track was loose probably helped her. She jumps well and, apart from the second to last one, she jumped them all pretty straight," Nelson said.
Runny Honey is a 6-year-old mare by High Chaparral out of the Volksraad mare Bizz and was bred by John and Lucy Scoular and their two children, Andy Scoular and Sally Tothill. The four race the mare together.
Bizz was the winner of three races. Her first foal was Murdoch, who won one race, and Runny Honey was the second foal.
A filly by Mastercraftsman out of the mare sold for $18,000 at the 2013 Karaka yearling sales and a colt by Rip Van Winkle for $40,000 at Karaka the following year.
Bizz then produced another colt by Rip Van Winkle, which sold for $36,000 at last year's Karaka sales and a weanling filly by Guillotine.
Second Innings scores again
Hastings trainer Paul Nelson's patient policy with exciting jumper Second Innings should reap big rewards next year.
The Yamanin Vital 8-year-old made it three wins from three starts over hurdles with another impressive four-length win in a $20,000 Novice Hurdle race at Te Aroha last Sunday, following two hurdle victories at last month's Grand National meeting at Christchurch.
In between his three jumping wins, Second Innings was successful in a 2200m flat race at Awapuni and has now won seven races from only 25 starts.
Nelson said this week there is a good chance Second Innings will now be turned out for a spell and then brought back for early jumping races next year.
"He's quite exciting and we will look at bigger races next year," Nelson said.
Jockey Aaron Kuru has ridden Second Innings in each of his three wins and certainly rates him as a star in the making.
"This horse is pretty serious. He'll be one to look out for next year," Kuru said after last Sunday's win.
Second Innings is raced by Nelson and his wife Carol in partnership with the horse's Central Hawke's Bay breeders Garry and Jan Sherratt and Cambridge trainer Ben Foote and his partner Kim Rogers.
Foote trained the horse for his first two wins before he was transferred to Nelson's stable to further his education as a jumper.
Cup plans back on
Pacorus, a horse part-owned by Havelock North couple Dave and Jenni Morison, returned to winning form with a vengeance at last Saturday's Auckland meeting and feature race aspirations are now back on track for the Tavistock 5-year-old.
The horse's Cambridge trainer Chris Wood has had next month's Group 3 $250,000 New Zealand Cup at Riccarton in mind for the horse for some time and the gelding took another step towards that goal with a runaway win in the Mitchelson Cup at Ellerslie.
Rated perfectly in front by apprentice Viktoria Gatu, Pacorus was always travelling better than his rivals in the 2200m event and crossed the line four lengths clear of race favourite Megablast.
It was a dominant performance and more in line with the horse's hat-trick of wins through the winter at Tauranga, Te Rapa and New Plymouth before he blotted his copybook with a fifth placing over 2100m at Ruakaka on September 10.
"A lot of horses don't cop Ruakaka and he got beaten fair and square on the day," Wood said. "But he won well again last Saturday and he's come through it well."
Wood said the horse would now either contest the $35,000 Egmont Cup (2100m) at Hawera tomorrow week or a 2200m race at Rotorua a week later and a decision will then be made whether to proceed down to Riccarton for the New Zealand Cup.
"I'll check out how the track is at Christchurch before confirming the trip. I wouldn't want to take him down there if the track is too hard," Wood said.
Pacorus has now won six races from only 21 starts and most of his victories have been on rain-affected tracks.
The horse is certainly bred to stay, being by Tavistock out of a Zabeel mare, and Wood is reasonably confident he will see out the 3200m of the New Zealand Cup.
"He doesn't have to lead in his races. He can sit off them like he did when he won the Interprovincial at New Plymouth three starts ago so I don't think the distance will be a problem."
Gatu, who is apprenticed to Wood, said Pacorus was nice and relaxed in front last Saturday and gave a good kick when she asked him to extend at the top of the home straight.
"That's my fifth win on him and he's a lovely horse to have around the stable," Gatu said.
Pacorus cost $15,000 as a yearling at the select session of the 2013 Karaka yearling sales and was purchased by Hastings-based Eddie Lowry on behalf of Dave and Jenni Morison. The couple were reluctant to race the horse on their own and are now part of a 10-member syndicate that races him, with most of the others being close friends and stable clients of Wood.
Singapore beckons
Talented young New Zealand race caller Tom Wood has made a fleeting visit to Singapore to audition for a vacant commentator's role with the Singapore Turf Club.
The 26-year-old called race two last Friday evening at Kranji, showcasing his accuracy and vocal talent in a race won by New Zealand-bred galloper Dicaprio for ex-Kiwi trainer Laurie Laxon.
"It was an experience of a lifetime and it was a great opportunity to be given by the Singapore Turf Club," Wood said.
Wood, the son of successful Cambridge-based trainer Chris, was interviewed by a four-member panel which included one of the current callers - Matt Jones - who will be staying on.
"The vibe was positive, but I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch," Wood said.
"If I were to be successful, it would be a three-year contract and there is a mix of calling the races and presenting, plus presenting and producing a couple of shows throughout the week and interviews at trackwork."
Despite his relative youth, Wood has already spent eight years commentating on races for the New Zealand Racing board, the last three domiciled in the central districts.