Savvy Dreams, in the hands of Australian jockey Katelyn Mallyon, starts to assert her authority over three rivals in 1200m Rating 75 race at Hastings on New Year's Day.
Hastings stables have opened the New Year in the best possible way with seven winners coming out of the centre in the first two days of 2018.
Hastings horses dominated the traditional New Year's Day meeting on their home track, with five of the eight races taken out by locals.
John Bary and Patrick Campbell each picked up two wins while the Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen partnership saddled up one.
Then, at the following day's Wairarapa meeting, Bary picked up another brace of wins to give him four in the space of two days.
Bary started the successful run at Monday's New Year's Day meeting when he produced Quick Choice to win the 1200m maiden race for three-year-olds.
Apprentice jockey Holly Andrew gave the Darci Brahma filly a perfect run, fourth and one off the fence, until the home turn and she unleashed a strong finishing burst to win by 1-1/4 lengths.
It was Quick Choice's second start and followed a debut eighth over 1200m at Awapuni in November.
The filly is certainly bred to be good as her dam Bonaichi who won three races including the Listed Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie.
Quick Choice is owned by Auckland's Haunui Farm Stud, which races the filly in partnership with a large group of people that include Hawke's Bay men Chris Tremain and Andrew Bayly.
Bary's other success at Hastings came with Swiss Precision, which made it two wins in a row when taking out the Rating 65 event over 1400m.
She was also ridden by Holly Andrew and, after sitting three-wide to the home turn, she still had plenty in reserve to kick clear and hold on to win by a length.
Swiss Precision is owned by the Challenge No 7 Syndicate, one of several syndicates set up and managed by bloodstock consultant Adrian Clark.
The filly has had only five starts for two wins and a third, with her maiden victory coming over 1200m at the Waipukurau meeting on December 10.
Bary now intends to step her up in class in the Group 3 $70,000 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on January 20.
Two from two for Campbell
Trainer Patrick Campbell had a 100 per cent winning strike-rate on his home track on Monday, producing Scandalo to win the $20,000 Russell Roads City Of Hastings Cup and Lady Guinness to take out the Kahungunu Kapa, a Rating 75 race.
Campbell has only a small team in work and had only two runners on New Year's Day.
The win by Scandalo was especially satisfying for Campbell as he owns the horse outright, while he also has a small racing share in Lady Guinness.
Scandalo had only two rivals in the day's feature event over 1300m, the first time there has been a three horse field at Hastings for many years.
Jockey Darryl Bradley settled the Shocking five-year-old behind the leading pair of Morse Code and Petite En Jeu and waited until they were well into the home straight before asking his mount to extend.
Once he did the big gelding bounded up outside the leading pair before racing on for an emphatic 1-3/4 length win.
Campbell bought Scandalo privately from the South Island after the horse had recorded two thirds and three fourths from seven starts down there.
He had immediate success when the horse took out a 1450m maiden race at Wairoa in February last year and has given him a further nine starts for four wins and two seconds.
Lady Guinness is starting to become a Hastings track specialist with all four of her victories having now been recorded on her home track.
The Falkirk mare led all the way for apprentice Holly Andrew in Monday's 1600m race and held out the fast finishing Wide Awake by 1-1/2 lengths.
The four-year-old won her maiden race over 1300m at Hastings in March last year and then added two Rating 65 victories, the first over 1600m at Hastings in April and the second over 1300m there in November.
Lady Guinness is owned by Windsor Park Stud and is raced on lease by a 14-member syndicate, all of whom live in Hawke's Bay.
Jason Britton manages the syndicate and has a 20 per cent share with the other members being Don, Rob and Alistair Poulgrain, Aaron Brittin, Nick Dorwood, Aaron Bourke, Jamie Flett, Mark O'Shaughnessy, Kelly O'Rourke, Eddie and Scotty Burn, Kim Bone and Patrick Campbell.
Thorndon Mile next
Savvy Dreams confirmed another tilt at a Group 1 race when she proved a class above her three rivals in the Rating 75 Best Travel 1200 at Hastings on Monday.
The mare's Hastings trainers Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen have had the $200,000 Thorndon Mile in mind for the horse and she will now go straight into that 1600-metre Trentham feature on January 20.
The Savabeel four-year-old was having her second start a new campaign, following a close and unlucky third over 1200m at Hastings on December 14.
Visiting Australian jockey Katelyn Mallyon was aboard Savvy Dreams on Monday.
The mare was slow to begin and a clear last on settling down but started to close on her three rivals coming to the home turn and quickly took control in the home straight, racing away to score by 1-1/2 lengths.
It was only the mare's second win, with her first coming in a 1200m maiden race at the same Hawke's Bay New Year's Day meeting 12 months ago.
However she was also stakes placed on three occasions last year, finishing a close second behind Bonneval in the Group 3 Lowland Stakes (2000m) at Hastings before a third in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham and a fourth in the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) in Adelaide.
Bred by Tony Rider at Milan Park in Cambridge, Savvy Dreams is raced by the breeder along with Kelvyn Marshall (Napier), Jim and Lynne Small (Dannevirke) Wendy Spurdle (Hawera), Grant Julian (Perth) and the Storming Home Syndicate.
There are four Hawke's Bay people involved in the 10-member Storming Home Syndicate, Roger Brittin (Hastings), Darrel Cook (Havelock North), Mike Newall (Havelock North) and Robin Vickers (Taradale).
Promising three-year-old filly
The John Bary-trained Vinnie's Volley looked a filly headed for much bigger things when winning her race debut in a 1000m maiden race at Tauherenikau on Tuesday.
The Iffraaj three-year-old jumped awkwardly from the barrier but quickly mustered speed for jockey Samantha Collett and was in front entering the last 600m. She tended to run out making the home turn but, once balanced up, stretched out strongly to win by 1-1/2 lengths.
Vinnie's Volley showed a glimpse of her ability when scoring an impressive win in a 750m Hastings jumpout back in November and then finished a close second in an 800m Foxton trial on December 12.
She is raced by the Too Posh Syndicate, a large group of keen racing enthusiasts.
Several members live in Hawke's Bay and are Carl Taylor, Renee Dever and Trent Miller, Wink and Andrew Hildreth, Brian and Karen Strachan, Rob Hardie, Craig and Vicki MacMillan, Vicki Sanders, Arron & Vicki Cook, Tina King, Tracey Saxton, BJ Moleta, Richard Koorey, Doug Callaghan, Lex Verhoeven, Merv Dudley and Robbie Lawton.
Bary's other winner at Tauherenikau was Hugo The Boss, who brought up his third victory from 11 starts when taking out a Rating 65 race over 1000m.
The Stratum four-year-old disputed the pace with Katie's So Kool before shaking her that runner off rounding the home turn and raced right away over the final stages to score by 2-1/2 lengths.
He is now expected to contest a $30,000 Rating 75 race over 1200m at Trentham tomorrow week.
Hugo The Boss is raced by the Best Dressed Syndicate, another large group of owners who include Taradale couple Alan and Paula Keall and Innes Nesbitt from Hastings.
Timely win by Bizzwinkle
Bizzwinkle's win in last Sunday's $30,000 Stratford Cup was a timely result for the horse's Hawke's Bay breeders John and Lucy Scoular and their two children, Andy Scoular and Sally Tothill.
The quartet sold the Rip Van Winkle gelding but are still breeding from his dam Bizz and have a Charm Spirit yearling filly out of the mare entered at for this month's Karaka sales.
They bred the yearling in partnership with Windsor Park Stud and Lucy Scoular said she is a "magnificent looking filly."
Bizz was the winner of three races for the Scoulars, from 1400m to 2000m, and has also left the winners Murdoch and Runny Honey.
It is also the family of Jolly Jake, a horse that won nine races in New Zealand including the 1984 New Zealand Derby.
Bizzwinkle was sold as a yearling for $36,000 and brought up his third win when he led all the way in last Sunday's feature race at Stratford. Apprentice jockey Jasmine Fawcett rated the horse well in front and he kicked on strongly to score by 2-1/2 lengths.
Instant southern success
Former Hastings-trained Red Tiara made a winning debut from her new South Island stable when successful in a Rating 65 race over 1200m at the Timaru meeting eight days ago.
The Per Incanto mare was having her first start for Riccarton trainer Pam Robson and, after taking the lead early in the home straight, she staved off all the challengers to score by a head.
Red Tiara was formerly prepared on the Hastings track by Kelly Burne, who has taken time out from training to pursue other employment.
She still shares in the ownership of the mare, along with the horse's Matamata breeder Derek Mortleman and two Wellington men, Pat Baker and Ramesh Dayal.
Red Tiara was recording her second win with her first coming almost exactly 12 months ago, when successful in a 1400m maiden at Hastings.