Racing: Paddy Maloney retired

Hawke's Bay-owned Paddy Maloney has run his last race.
The 10-year-old St Hilarion gelding, a last-start fourth in the $10,000 Rangitikei Hunt Steeples at Waverley on October 10, is destined to become an eventing horse or show hack.
Paddy Maloney was bred by Hawke's Bay Racing Incorporated board member Wayne Mudgway and raced by him in partnership with Havelock North's Peter Maloney, Waipukurau couple Paul and Pauline Johnson, Palmerston North trainer Bruce Marsh and the late Selwyn Wagner (Hastings.
The horse raced 75 times for six wins, 12 seconds and eight thirds and his stake earnings were just short of the $200,000 mark.
Trained for the majority of his racing career by Bruce Marsh at Woodville, Paddy Maloney was transferred to Kevin Myers' Wanganui stable last year to further a jumping career.
And, although he never won over fences, he did manage to record three minor placings over hurdles and four over steeples.
Included among Paddy Maloney's six wins was the group three Cornwall Handicap (2200m) at Ellerslie two years ago and the group three Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (2400m) at Riccarton while he also finished second in the 1999 New Zealand Cup (3200m) and fourth in the 2001 Auckland Cup (3200m).
Paddy Maloney was out of the Sucaryl mare Sweet Lu, a mare that was loaned to Mudgway for one year.
Sweet Lu was out of Lucerne and from the same family as the former top jumpers Thun and Ascona.
* Dannevirke couple Neil and Erin Connors are the recipients of the Hawke's Bay Racehorse Owners by-monthly award for the months of August and September.
The couple race the talented three-year-old Samurai, who is trained on the Woodville track by Neil Connors.
Samurai, by Daggers Drawn, has won two races on the Hastings track this season, a 1300m maiden event on August 5 and the $27,500 Palmerston North Partsworld Premier (1400m) on August 28. He then finished second in another $27,500 event on the same track on September 18.
The Connors also own the top stayer Bodie who bounced back to winning form when taking out the $27,500 Avery Ford Open Handicap (2100m) at last Saturday's Wellington meeting at Otaki.
It was the Stark South gelding's first success since his last-stride victory in the group one Auckland Cup (3200m) on New Years Day 2003 but he has strung together numerous minor placings since then.
After finishing second and fourth on the first two days of this year's Kelt Capital Hawke's Bay spring carnival, Bodie was flown across the Tasman for a crack at the group one Metropolitan (2400m) in Sydney on October 2 but a soft track at Randwick that day did not suit him and he only managed ninth.
Last Saturday was his first start back and he scored an emphatic two length win over Reg, with War Dancer a similar margin back in third place.
Bodie is now headed to Christchurch for the group two $180,000 New Zealand Cup (3200m) on November 13 and will probably take in the group three $40,000 "Gold Club" Metropolitan Trophy (2500m) on the first day of the meeting as a final lead-up.
* Central Hawke's Bay is likely to have two representatives in this year's New Zealand Cup with the Waipukurau-trained Hootandance also expected to make the trip south.
The Victory Dance mare turned in an excellent New Zealand Cup trial with a decisive win in the $20,000 Forest Lake Gardens 2100 at Monday's Waikato meeting.
That victory followed an easy win over 1200m trial win on her home track on October 13.
Hootandance, trained by John and Megan Atkinson, has now won eight races for her Dannevirke owners Barry and Cavell Burlace and Robert Howard.
John Atkinson said the mare will also probably contest the 2500-metre open handicap on the first day of the three-day cup carnival before tackling the New Zealand Cup a week later.