Carnaby and jockey Gosen Jogoo stave off the challengers after leading all the way for a fresh up win over 1500m
Carnaby provided five Hawke's Bay men with an instant return on their investment when he won at odds of 20 to one at last Sunday's Greymouth meeting in the South Island.
Tony Lyndon, Peter Johnstone, Peter Unverricht, Greg Horton and Bruce Yanko recently took over a 50 per cent racing share in the 5-year-old Danroad gelding and the horse was having his first start for them when he lined up in a Rating 65 race over 1500m at Omoto.
Apprentice jockey Gosen Jogoo took the horse to the front soon after the start and maintained a clear advantage over his rivals for most of the race. They still hand a handy lead rounding the home bend and managed to hang on for a three-quarter length win.
Carnaby was having his first start for Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers, who took the horse over after he finished last of 11 runners over 2040m at Wanganui back in September last year.
At that time he was trained by Awapuni's Tony Bambry, who had prepared him for three wins, three seconds and two thirds from 29 starts.
Carnaby was bred by well-known racing administrator Alan Fenwick of Marton and Feilding-based Michael Collinson. They initially raced the horse with Alan's wife Sue and Cam Arnott, from Palmerston North.
Tony Lyndon, Peter Johnstone, Peter Unverricht and Greg Horton were former shareholders in the top steeplechaser Mr Mor and when that horse retired from racing earlier this season they were keen to find another prospective jumper.
Bruce Yanko has raced a number of horses from the Kevin Myers stable in the past and was keen to be involved in another one.
"I had a talk to Kevin Myers at the races one day and asked him whether he had something coming on that we could take a share in," recalled Tony Lyndon.
"He suggested this one [Carnaby] and said we could probably get a small share or maybe lease the horse outright."
The Fenwicks, Collinson and Arnott were keen to keep a racing share in the horse and have added Kevin Myers to their 50 per cent shareholding.
Carnaby won his first race at his second start, in a 2040m maiden event at Wanganui in November 2015. He then won two races in a row in the winter of 2016, the first over 1600m at Trentham and the second over 1600m at Awapuni.
After a second placing over 2100m at Woodville last August the horse's form dropped away in his next two starts, prompting a change of stable and environment.
Carnaby is bred to be a stayer, being by Danroad out of the Grosvenor mare Very English, who was the winner of one race at 2000m.
His connections are now hoping Kevin Myers, renowned as a conditioner of jumpers, can work his magic and have the horse qualified for hurdle races next winter.
Chic continues great run
Hawke's Bay-owned Chic is fast building an imposing record since joining the Wanganui stable of Kevin Myers.
The Savabeel 5-year-old scored another decisive win at last Sunday's Greymouth meeting to take her record to two wins and two seconds from her last four starts.
Chic was bred by Cambridge-based Tony Rider and is out of the O'Reilly mare Misspro O'Reilly. Taupo's Pat Lowry and the estate of his late wife Jane now own 50 per cent of the horse, with the H.O.T. Syndicate owning 30 per cent and two other Hastings people, Joanna Lowry and Charlie Bridgman, each having a 10 per cent share.
Megan Harvey manages the H.O.T. Syndicate, with the other Hawke's Bay members being her husband Jim, Mick and Dawn Small, Pat Walshe, Patrick O'Rourke, Robert Kale, Sam and Jenny Nelson and Margie-Anne Klinginder.
Chic had to be good to win when taking out a Rating 65 race over 1500m at Omoto last Sunday. The mare was caught three-wide without cover for most of the race and, after surging to the front 500m from the finish, she still managed to kick clear of the opposition over the final stages to win by two lengths.
Chic started out in the Hastings stable of Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen and recorded two wins and a third from her first six starts before her form dropped away. She was transferred to the Myers stable 12 months ago.
Bary pair target features
Hastings trainer John Bary is targeting important black type races at Trentham tomorrow week with his stable stars Miss Wilson and Swiss Precision.
Miss Wilson will contest the Group 1 $250,000 J & N Berkett Telegraph (1200m) while Swiss Precision will step up in class in the Group 3 $70,000 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).
Miss Wilson has been freshened since failing in the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on December 9. The half-sister by Stratum to the multiple Group 1 winner Jimmy Choux has made excellent progress since and galloped well in trackwork at Hastings last week.
"The good thing was that Sam [Collett] sat up and looked after her last start," Bary said. "We've had the chiropractor to the mare after that Wellington run and she was certainly sore.
"I'm really happy with her now and she'll head to the Telegraph."
Swiss Precision hasn't been easy to deal with, but the talented filly is now getting her timing right.
"We've had to be very patient with her," Bary said. "We had gate issues with her and there has been a lot of hard work from my staff, the track riders and jockeys at the trials to sort her out."
Good things come to those who wait though and the daughter of Swiss Ace won for the second time in her brief career when successful on her home track at Hastings on New Year's Day.
"She's a big, burly girl and she's a confident and happy horse. I think she'll get a mile, but past that I don't know," Bary said.
Baker among inductees
Hawke's Bay-born Murray Baker will be inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame next month.
He is one of two premiership-winning trainers being officially inducted at a gala dinner to be held at Sky City in Hamilton on Friday, February 9. The other is the now Australian-based Chris Waller who was originally from Foxton in the Manawatu.
Those being inducted are:
People
Murray Baker: Born in Napier, Baker started training 1978-79 and saddled his first stakes winner in 1979 at Awapuni. He relocated from Woodville to Cambridge in 2000. He has trained the winners of 21 Group 1 races in Australia, more than any other New Zealand trainer in history. His leading representatives include Dundeel, Turn Me Loose, Mongolian Khan and Bonneval.
Sir Woolf Fisher: Sir Woolf Fisher was a highly respected stud owner, racing administrator and industrialist. He founded Ra Ora Stud in 1950 and that stud stood many good sires including multiple Champion Sire Sovereign Edition. Sir Woolf served for 17 years on the board of the Auckland Racing Club, including two as president.
Noel Harris: Born in Palmerston North, Harris was twice champion apprentice who later won a Singapore Jockey Premiership. Harris' riding career spanned 45 years and he is in top four jockeys of all-time, winning 2163 races in New Zealand. Since retiring as a jockey, Harris successfully mentors jockeys at New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing's Jockeys' School.
Leslie H. (Tod) Hewitt: Hewitt revolutionised race riding in Australasia by shortening his irons and moving the saddle forward, adopting the crouch style used today. Hewett won the jockeys' premiership in 1903-04 and rode successfully in Europe, winning big races in England, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Italy.
Chris Waller: The champion Sydney-based trainer began his career as a strapper for former Foxton horseman Paddy Busuttin. Since moving across the Tasman, Waller has won seven consecutive Sydney premierships, seven Bart Cummings Medals and numerous Group 1 winners, including wonder mare Winx.
Horses
Brookby Song: Foaled in 1940, he was one of New Zealand's all-time great steeplechasers. He became only the third horse to win the Great Northern, Wellington and Grand National Steeples all in one year.
Might and Power: He was rated by Hall of Fame member Sir Patrick Hogan as the best racehorse sired by his Hall of Fame sire Zabeel. Might and Power won five Group 1 races as a 4-year-old, including the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double. At 5, he won four of his six starts including the W.S. Cox Plate. He was judged the World's Champion Stayer of 1998
O'Reilly: Last Tycoon out of Courtza, the late O'Reilly had a brief but spectacular race career, winning four of only six starts including the Group 1 Bayer Classic and the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap. He retired to Waikato Stud in 1997 and has won four New Zealand General Sire Premierships and is third on all-time sire of stakes winners behind the Hall of Fame stallions Sir Tristram and Zabeel.
Veandercross: The Australian champion racehorse of 1992-93, he won 15 races including 14 black type and eight Group 1 events. Veandercross was owner-trained in New Zealand by Chris Turner and when competing in Australia he was trained by Hall of Fame trainer John Wheeler.
Kawi trials well at Cambridge
Group 1 specialist Kawi comfortably earned a pass mark at Tuesday's Cambridge trials from trainer Allan Sharrock.
The seven-time winner at the top level was taken north from his New Plymouth base as part of his preparation for Saturday week's Group 1 JR & N Berkett Telegraph (1200m) and pleased when runnerup in his 935m heat.
"I was really happy with his trial, there was no speed so he was hard on the bridle – they won't go that slow in the Telegraph," Sharrock said.
"The main thing was that he jumped out, he did that perfectly and probably the best he's ever jumped."
Kawi currently shares $5 favouritism for the Trentham feature with Volpe Veloce.
Trip on despite last-start hiccup
Chris Waller has confirmed a start for Scream Park in the Karaka Million Three-year-old Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie later this month.
"He'll go, only just though," Waller said. "Obviously when you're travelling you like to be going with a win next to your name."
A son of Ocean Park, Scream Park was twice successful last month before he beat only one runner home in a five-horse field, in the hands of rider Hugh Bowman, at Randwick last Saturday.
"He was a bit of a sitting duck and as they sprinted he was a bit flat-footed, and as a result it was a plain run," Waller said. "Hugh said don't be disappointed and he's a very good judge to have aboard."