Jaarffi joins elite band with Group 1 victory in Classic at Ellerslie

Jaarffi and Warren Kennedy grab Pier right on the line for Group 1 glory at Ellerslie. Photo / Kenton Wright.

The golden summer for one of New Zealand racing’s biggest players continued at Ellerslie today.

Breeding and ownership powerhouse Cambridge Stud not only ruled the recent Karaka sales but their stallion ranks have been on a heater, with Almanzor the sire of New Zealand’s best sprinter First Five, while Sword Of State is regarded as the country’s most exciting young stallion.

Owners Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay also race superstar mare Joliestar and they added another Group 1 winner to their future broodmare band when Jaarffi grabbed leader Pier in the last two strides of the $600,000 Sport Nation Ōtaki-Māori Classic on Saturday.

The long-striding mare had twice been runner-up at Group 1 level but now seals herself as a top echelon broodmare, the latest in a line of black-type winners Cambridge Stud have been able to add to their broodmare band in the past five years.

Jaarffi, whose name is her sire Iffraaj spelt backwards, had to be brave to finally land her Group 1 success as she was three wide without cover for much of the 1600m. But she never shirked her task after Pier was left in front at the top of the straight.

“She got a little cover when Sterling Express half came out across the top, which helped, but it was a really good win,” said jockey Warren Kennedy.

Jaarffi is trained by Cambridge Stud’s private trainer Lance Noble, who said it was “job done” after getting the Group 1 black-type with the leggy mare who can be tricky to train.

Jaarffi will chase more Group 1 glory in the $1 million Bonecrusher NZ Stakes at Ellerslie on March 7, with the market for that feature looking slightly confused.

Saturday’s runner-up Pier is not assured of going there, while third-placed Provence, who was much improved, is unlikely to extend to 2000m.

Leader El Vencedor was underwhelming again, Livamol Classic winner Waitak was never a factor while Tuxedo raced like a horse wearing blinkers for the second time rather than the first.

While Tuxedo will strip fitter for the Bonecrusher it is hard to make a case for many of those who finished behind Jaarffi on Saturday being able to beat her home in two weeks.

But the Bonecrusher will have Kingswood and Legarto added to a contest that could decide who ends the season rated our best weight-for-age galloper.

Also in two weeks is the Auckland Cup and the prospects for that race looked no clearer after Final Return was too tough for his rivals in the Eagle Technology Avondale Cup on Saturday.

The Counties Cup winner stuck to his guns under comeback jockey Chris Dell to hold out Victorian-trained favourite Brayden Star, who was given a perfect ride by Opie Bosson.

Punters could be excused for being put off Final Return in the parade ring as he wears significant bandaging on his near-side hind leg but that hasn’t stopped him winning the Counties and Avondale Cups for Central Districts trainer Janelle Millar.

Final Return is now second favourite in a messy market for the Auckland Cup and his win was a lovely tribute to his sire Reliable Man, who died this week.

Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.