Racing: A special win by One Prize One Goal

Hawke's Bay-owned One Prize One Goal strides clear of his rivals inside the last 200 metres of the Hawke's Bay Owners Association 1200. Photo / Supplied

There was no more fitting winner of the $22,500 Hawke's Bay Owners Association 1200 at last Saturday's Hawke's Bay meeting than One Prize One Goal.

The 4-year-old is owned by Napier-based Shirin Wood and her son Calvin and raced by them along with the estate of Shirin's late husband Kevin.

Kevin Wood, who died in January 2016 after a long battle with cancer, was a long-serving committeeman of the Hawke's Bay Racehorse Owners Association and his name is now attached to the by-monthly award presented by that body.

He also served as a race day steward and a board member of Hawke's Bay Racing Incorporated for 10 years and was made a life member of that club in 2015.

Kevin Wood was also an active member of the Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay Breeders Association.

The Woods bred One Prize One Goal out of the Towkay mare Sheeza Kinda Magic, who was unplaced from three starts but was out of Wake Up Suzie, a mare that recorded five wins and 11 minor placings.

One Prize One Goal is trained at Cambridge by Lee Somervell and has now recorded three wins, three seconds and three thirds from only 18 starts.

The Ekraar gelding showed amazing acceleration inside the last 200m of last Saturday's 1200m event to race away for a dominant 2-3/4 length win.

"He is a very serious racehorse," Somervell said after the win.

"I've always said he is a horse that could compete in black type races but the thing with him is that he has to have good tracks to show his best."

With this in mind Somervell agreed that he may now be running out of opportunities with One Prize One Goal, with the onset of winter track conditions.

"We'll just have to see what the weather brings but I think he's a very good horse and I'd like to bring him back here to Hastings in the spring."

After jumping well from the barrier One Prize One Goal was lost for early speed over 1200m last Saturday and got back in the running. He then started to track into the race approaching the home turn but then clipped the heels of a horse in front, causing him to dip and momentarily lose momentum.

Jockey Leah Hemi quickly got the horse balanced up again and, after getting a gap between horses half-way up the straight, he dashed away from his rivals.

Scandalo earns a break
Hastings trainer Patrick Campbell says his stable star Scandalo has now earned a winter spell and it is hard to disagree with him.

The Shocking 5-year-old not only brought up his seventh win from only 22 starts with another decisive victory on his home track last Saturday but he has also chalked up five wins, two seconds and a third from 10 appearances since October.

"He's done enough and can go out now and come back in the spring," Campbell said.

Scandalo took on a small but talented field of open sprinters in the $35,000 Preferment @ Brighthill Farm 1400 at last Saturday's Hawke's Bay meeting. He is normally in or near the lead in his races but rider Chris Johnson had to niggle at him to keep in touch with the pacemakers in the early stages.

Scandalo was still back second last in the seven-horse field rounding the home bend but once Johnson got him into the clear he accelerated quickly to hit the front and then staved off a late challenge from Go Nicholas to score by three-quarters of a length.

It was Scandalo's second win in a row after he was also successful at the Hawke's Bay Cup meeting on April 14. Both victories were over 1400m but Campbell is keen to extend the horse out to a middle distance when he comes back in a new campaign.

"He looked a bit flat down the back when trying to hold his position so he might now be looking for more ground," Campbell said.

"He just kept finding, he's brave. So I may try him over more ground next season – he's bred to stay."

Scandalo is out of the Savabeel mare Grandissima, who won twice up to 2000m and ran second in the Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m).

Campbell is not only the trainer but he also owns Scandalo, after buying him in a private sale from the South Island in December 2016. The horse has won him more than $125,000 in stakemoney since then.

Carnaby's southern success
The Hawke's Bay connections of the galloper Carnaby are usually kept in the dark as to where the horse will line up but as long as he picks up a stakemoney cheque they don't mind.

The 5-year-old gelding was among a large team of horses Whanganui trainer Kevin Myers took south for the two-day Marlborough meeting at Blenheim last weekend and he took out a $10,000 Rating 65 race over 1950m on the first day.

Myers has never been great at trainer-owner communication and is even more aloof when it comes to dealing with the media. But there is no doubting his tremendous skills as a horseman and his ability to set horses for specific races.

Carnaby was coming off two fourth placings when successful last Friday, the first over 2100m at Hawera on March 12 and the second over 2200m at Rotorua on March 17.

Myers then freshened the horse, dropping him back to 1950m at Blenheim and engaged the services of experienced jockey Chris Johnson.

It took all of Johnson's skills to get Carnaby to settle in the early stages but, after restraining the horse into a trailing position, he bided his time until the home turn.

He then produced the Danroad gelding at the top of the home straight, the horse quickly challenged the leaders before surging clear in the final stages to win by 1-1/2 lengths.

Carnaby was recording his second win since joining the Myers stable in September last year, after initially being prepared by Awapuni trainer Tony Bambry.

The horse was bred by well known racing administrator Alan Fenwick of Marton and Feilding-based Michael Collinson and they initially raced him with Alan's wife Sue and Cam Arnott, from Palmerston North.

Five Hawke's Bay men, Tony Lyndon, Peter Johnstone, Peter Unverricht, Greg Horton and Bruce Yanko took over a 50 per cent racing share in the 5-year-old at the end of last year and got an instant return on their investment when he won at odds of 20 to one at the Greymouth meeting on January 7.

Kevin Myers is renowned as a great conditioner of jumpers and Carnaby is likely to be seen in a hurdling role in the future.

Collett on Kiwi hope at Kranji
Expatriate New Zealand jockey Jason Collett has been booked to ride Ocean Emperor in Singapore later this month.

He will combine with the Gary Hennessy-trained son of Zabeel in the $S1.5 million Kranji Mile (1600m) on May 26.

A last-start winner of the Group 2 Japan/New Zealand International Trophy (1600m), Ocean Emperor is booked to fly to Singapore on May 17 and will be accompanied by his regular work rider, apprentice Tui Miles.

Thorndon Mile winner retired
Group 1 winner Thee Auld Floozie has run her last race.

The 6-year-old signed off last Saturday when she finished a game sixth in the Group 2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa.

"She just doesn't quite get the 2000m, but she's been a great mare for the stable," part-owner and trainer Stephen Marsh said.

"She was pretty straightforward to deal with and we never had much go wrong with her."

The winner of 11 of her 38 starts, the daughter of Mastercraftsman's career highlight was her victory in last season's Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m).

She also claimed two editions of the Group 2 Westbury Classic (1400m), the Group 3 Sunline Vase (2100m), the Listed Swap Contractors (1400m) and twice finished runner-up in the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m).

Coldplay for sale
Multiple Group-winning Savabeel mare Coldplay is bound for auction, although her racing career may not be over.

She will be offered for sale by breeder-owners Waikato Stud and Gary Wallace at the Gold Coast, but if she fails to meet her reserve an Australian racing campaign will be considered.

Coldplay has won six races from the stable of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, including the Group 2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m), the Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m), the Group 3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) and the Group3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m).

Chocante coming home
Chocante's Queensland winter carnival campaign is over.

The Stephen Marsh-trained Group 1 performer has suffered a tendon injury and will return home immediately.

The winner of last year's Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2200m), Chocante had been due to run in tomorrow's Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast as his final lead in to the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on May 19.