Cetus and trainer Donna Beck training at the Levin track this week.
Cetus and trainer Donna Beck training at the Levin track this week.
A horse born and bred in Ōhau will represent Horowhenua-Kāpiti in a Ranfurly Shield-style horse race at New Plymouth on Saturday.
Cetus, a nine-year-old gelding, will be easy to spot in the running of the $60,000 ITM Interprovincial Championship (1600 metres), with his jockey wearing the red, white and bluecolours of the province.
The Horowhenua connection doesn't end there. It was a real family team effort behind Cetus, with Levin trainer Donna Beck giving husband and jockey Trevor the mount, while their son Oliver shares in the ownership of Cetus.
Cetus, with trainer Donna Beck and part-owner Oliver Bau.
Cetus does his training every morning at the Levin Training Track on Mako Mako Road - he was given a light jog this morning - while connections would be heartened by his effort in a jump-out trial at the course on Tuesday morning.
Up against open-class horses, the mid-week trial was a chance for Beck to put the final polish on Cetus. He went well, rounding off the 1000m heat strongly, giving his trainer confidence her horse was well.
"He's working beautifully, and to be given the chance to represent our province is pretty cool," she said.
Although getting on in horse years, Cetus was lightly raced, winning four of his 23 career starts. He boasts a bit of black-type in his pedigree too; his dam City of Dreams is a full-sister to former top-stayer Sculptor.
Donna Beck and Cetus.
Cetus was bred by Ōhau horseman Peter McKenzie and was trained early on in his career by Foxton trainer Chris Rauhihi, and also Ōtaki trainer Tony Allan. He also spent time racing in the South Island under Riccarton trainer Mike Pitman before returning to Levin earlier this year.
Form analysts would suggest Cetus is to come up against some proven performers on Saturday, the likes of Victor Vegas, Le Sablier and Mauna Kea, but in his favour was a penchant for heavy tracks, which he will certainly strike at New Plymouth.
Horowhenua-Kāpiti-based horses had won the Interprovincial event before. Levin trainer Craig Ivil prepared Leebrearne to win in 2008, while Foxton trainer Sue Walsh took it out in 1996.
In a rare occurrence that might appeal to the parochial punter, the Horowhenua-Kāpiti rugby team kicks off their Heartland Championship season against East Coast in Ruatoria tomorrow.
There was the opportunity for punters to have a multi-bet, combining Cetus and the rugby team for what could be a popular Horowhenua-Kāpiti double.
Race 7: 3:23pm $60,000 ITM INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP (1600m) Number - Form - Horse - Weight - Breeding - Trainer 1 334X3 Viktor Vegas 57.5kg (9g Tavistock - Purnima (AUS)) - Casey Lock 2 29118 Magdala 54kg (7m Bachelor Duke (USA) - Marlena) - Rudy Liefting 3 56X12 Cork 56.5kg (5m Complacent (AUS) - Little Bit Irish) - Michael Moroney & Pam Gerard 4 5125X Leaderboard 60kg (USA) (8g Street Cry (IRE) - Flower Fairy (USA) - Mark Walker 5 94194 Le Sablier 59kg (8m Tavistock - Phillipa Glass) - Karen Fursdon 6 22330 Rua Rocks 54kg (5g El Roca (AUS) - Heartache) - Carl Henderson 7 8X832 Run Like Boo 55.5kg (7g Roc de Cambes - Sequel) - Tracey Bliss 8 X0859 Mauna Kea 59kg (9g Per Incanto (USA) - City Class Rose) - Paul Moseley 9 X5042 Diogenes 56kg (7g Thewayyouare (USA) - Sacsayhuaman (AUS)) - Janelle Millar 10 78X11 Semper Magico 55kg (7g Per Incanto (USA) - Semper Fidelis) - Mark Oulaghan 11 70X35 Cetus 55kg (8g Nom du Jeu - City Of Dreams) - Donna Beck 12 01713 Manolo 54kg (7g Jimmy Choux - Jungle Queen) - Stephen Nickalls 13 6909X Beaudz Well 58kg (6g Zed - Celtic Rose) - John Wheeler 14 65417 No Loitering 58.5kg (10g No Excuse Needed (GB) - Scally Wag) - Iain Marks
