She's Miss Gevious staves off the challenge of race favourite Rosie Brahma to win a $60,000 race over 1400m at Hastings last Saturday. Photo / Supplied
Within days of being granted a thoroughbred trainer's licence Hastings woman Caitlin Johnson celebrated instant success on the racetrack when She's Miss Gevious took out a $60,000 Special Conditions Maiden race at last Saturday's Hawke's Bay meeting.
The 27-year-old has entered into a partnership with Fred Pratt, with the paperwork only finalised in the week leading up to last Saturday's third day of the Colliers Hawke's Bay spring carnival.
She's Miss Gevious was their only runner last Saturday and the 4-year-old mare disputed the pace from the start of the 1400m event before kicking clear at the top of the straight and staving off the challengers to win by a long neck.
Johnson says she has had a love of horses for her entire life and rode ponies from an early age. She started working for Hastings trainer Fred Pratt about three years ago and has been regularly riding trackwork for the past two.
She said becoming a trainer is like a dream come true.
The win by She's Miss Gevious last Saturday was even more special for Johnson as she has a racing share in the mare, along with training partner Fred Pratt.
Pratt owns the 4-year-old and has also leased shares out to the Oh Chiwhawah Syndicate and Martinborough butcher Scott Reid.
The Oh Chiwhawha Syndicate consists of 30 members, many of whom reside in Hawke's Bay and several in and around Waimarama Beach.
She's Miss Gevious has now recorded two wins, a third and a fourth from seven starts and Saturday's victory took her stake earnings to more than $46,000.
She is one of 10 horses Pratt and Johnson have in work.
The mare was a $1500 purchase from the 2020 Karaka yearling sales but was gifted to Pratt when the owner decided she was surplus to his requirements.
She is by the little known sire Unusual Suspect out of the Mettre En Jeu mare More In Store, who recorded a win and three minor placings from 17 starts.
Pratt said the heavy-10 track conditions at Hastings last Saturday suited She's Miss Chevious and she was aided by a good ride from promising apprentice Tayla Mitchell.
"The horse is a real swimmer so the wet track was always going to be a help but it was the ride that won the race," Pratt said.
"I told her [Mitchell] before she went out that she is a horse that can switch off if you let her and you need to keep at her," Pratt said.
Unfortunately Mitchell took the instructions a bit too far and incurred a seven-day suspension and a $400 fine for excessive use of the whip.
She pleaded guilty to a charge that she struck her mount with the whip six times before the 100m mark, when the legal number of strikes is five.
Pratt said he thinks the whip rule is farcical and that if Mitchell had not ridden She's Miss Gevious with such vigour the mare could have been run down.
"And if she had got beaten would the stewards then say she didn't give her mount every chance to win the race," Pratt added.
Hercock bags five wins in two days
Hawke's Bay jockey Kate Hercock has enjoyed a hugely successful two days of race-riding in the past week.
The 43-year-old rode Real Slim Tradie to win a $60,000 race at last Saturday's Hawke's Bay meeting and then kicked home four winners (half the card) at Woodville two days later.
The five wins have rocketed Hercock into a top 12 position on the national jockeys' premiership, a great achievement from a rider who resurrected her career a few years ago after an almost 10-year hiatus.
Winning four races in a day is not common but Hercock said it was not the first time she has achieved it.
"I did it at Dargaville one day but that was a long time ago," she said.
Hercock's experience was a telling factor at last Monday's Woodville meeting.
On a day when most race winners were in or near the pace throughout, Hercock made every endeavour to have her mounts take up a prominent position in the running.
Three of her four wins were excellent front-running rides, aboard Zappa Jak in the maiden 2100m race, Bold Belle in the maiden 1200m and Half Of Nothing in a maiden 1600m.
Her other victory was aboard Precision Shooter in a Rating 65 race over 1200m and, although the horse was slow to begin, she managed to keep him in touch with the main body of the field.
Hercock saved several lengths by staying to the inside aboard Precision Shooter rounding the home bend and the horse quickly challenged the leaders before surging clear late to win by three-quarters of a length.
Hercock also showed great initiative when winning aboard Real Slim Tradie in a 1200m race at Hastings last Saturday.
The big striding Showcasing 5-year-old was last when the field settled down but Hercock then let him roll around the field four-wide from the 800m peg.
Real Slim Tradie was the widest runner coming around the home turn but kept building momentum and shot to the front early in the home straight.
The big horse was not entirely happy in the heavy-10 track conditions but kept up a strong run to the line to win by 2-1/2 lengths.
It was the horse's third triumph from only 16 starts and he has also recorded two seconds and four thirds.
Real Slim Tradie is trained at Waipukurau by Kirsty Lawrence and was purchased by her and her husband Steve for $4500 from the online auction site Gavelhouse.
They then set up a large syndicate to race the horse, with Steve Lawrence retaining a share. The other members are Phil and Jo Hayes, Peter and Sonya Barry, Andrew Rochester, Kate Boyden, Sam Elkink, Dion and Chel Adams, Hamish and Shane Overend, Trent Miller and Mark Bland from Hawke's Bay and Kawerau-based Brent Mitchell.
Kirsty Lawrence said Real Slim Tradie has come through last Saturday's race well and will now be aimed at a $30,000 Rating 75 race over 1300m at Te Rapa on November 5.
Lawrence made it two wins in two days when she saddled up Zappa Jak for an all the way win in a maiden 2100m race at Woodville on Monday.
The 4-year-old Jakkalberry gelding was having only his seventh start and was stepping up to a middle distance for the first time.
"He's just been looking for more ground and the 2100 today was what he wanted," Lawrence said.
"Kate [Hercock] rated him well in front and he just kept going."
Lawrence and her husband Steve own Zappa Jak after acquiring the horse from his Hawke's Bay owner-breeder Doug Phillips, who is suffering ill-health.
The Lawrences have set up a large Hawke's Bay syndicate to help them race the horse with the other members being John and Kerry Lorck, Steve Kean, Peter and Ata Haynes, Shane Overend, Mike Ju, Kevin McCoy, Simon and Wendy Collin and Rod Overend.
Cup triumph for Michael Dee
Former Hastings-based jockey Michael Dee celebrated the biggest win of his career when he steered Durston to an upset victory in last Saturday's A$5 million Caulfield Cup in Melbourne.
The 26-year-old brought up his seventh Group 1 success with a well-judged ride aboard the Chris Waller-trained 7-year-old, threading his way through the field in the final stages to get up and snatch a head victory over topweight Gold Trip, with three-quarters of a length back to third placed Knights Order.
Durston, who was at odds of 16 to one, was the first emergency for the 2400m feature and only gained a start after Maximal was scratched on the morning of the race.
Dee is a son of former thoroughbred trainer Richard Dee and his wife Jo, who operate Paratu Farm in Central Hawke's Bay.
The 340ha sheep and cattle fattening property is 50 per cent owned by their Melbourne-based son Michael, who has been forging a successful riding career across the Tasman.
Michael Dee started out working in the Hastings stable of Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen before a stint working for Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers. He then decided to head across the Tasman where he served the greater part of his apprenticeship attached to the Caulfield stable of Mick Price.
He has now ridden more than 600 winners but nothing compared to the euphoria he experienced after winning a Caulfield Cup.
"I don't really know how to describe it. It's unbelievable.
"I've just got to thank Chris Waller and his team and the horse, Durston. Ecstatic.
"We had a good draw and I just dropped straight down to the fence and got him into a rhythm. He does tend to get on the bridle quite strongly and I just had to sit against him the whole way.
"At the half-mile I was tossing up whether I go in or out but sort of more or less edged forward slightly and we were eventually able to get into the clear and he was strong late."
Durston is now a $13 chance for the A$7.75m Melbourne Cup on November 1 but will have a change of rider for the race.
Dee has a prior commitment to partner Lunar Flare in the 3200m event so Waller has engaged top Australian jockey Damien Oliver for Durston.
McDonald on La Crique
Leading Sydney jockey James McDonald has been booked to ride New Zealand-trained mare La Crique in the Group 1 A$1m Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on October 29.
"We have had confirmation that James McDonald will ride La Crique," said Matamata-based Katrina Alexander, who trains in partnership with her husband Simon.
"That is really exciting news and we couldn't wish for a better result."
La Crique heads to Australia in good form, having placed third in the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings last month before winning the Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Matamata.