Racing: Auckland boss keeps Cup hopes alive with Genebel win

Auckland Racing Club chairman Lyn Stevens' dream of winning an Auckland Cup came a lot closer with Genebel's handicap win on Saturday.

The useful staying mare came back from Mike Moroney's Melbourne stable for a crack at the $600,000 SkyCity Auckland Cup and looked smart going around the field to win on Saturday.

It was a long way short of a Cup field she beat, but Genebel had not raced for nearly two months and can be expected to pull a lot of improvement from the race.

Genebel's winning rider Michael Coleman has a Cup engagement for Kerry O'Reilly and she will be ridden by Melbourne jockey Blake Shinn.

* * *

Tim Vince is one of racing's most relaxed followers.

Which came in very handy when he sat between galloping whizz Graeme Rogerson and harness trainer Mark Purdon at last year's standardbred sales at Karaka eating a pie.

A colt walked into the ring and Vince turned to Purdon: "This is out of a very good mare - she's about due to leave a good one."

Rogerson, Vince and Purdon came up with $32,000 for the colt, which turned out to be a filly when the hopeful partners inspected her some 10 minutes later.

"We hadn't even looked at her before she went into the ring - I only buy colts."

At Addington on Friday night that filly Top Tempo won on debut, justifying some heavy support.

"It shows you once again luck counts for 95 per cent of everything in horse racing," said Vince as he watched Aukay, another horse he has a share in, win at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Alister McGregor also has shares in both horses and Rogerson bought into a number of pacers that he races with Vince and Purdon.

"We've got an unraced 2-year-old named Carlos coming up here to race in the next couple of weeks.

"The great thing is the horses are racing in Rogey's colours."

* * *

Matamata trainer Graeme Richardson doesn't want to start Twopaddocks at Matamata this week, but knows there is a strong chance he has to.

Twopaddocks was impressive winning the Radio Network 2100m at Ellerslie on Saturday, but the $7500 winning stake will almost certainly not be enough to get the 3-year-old into the field for the $600,000 Mercedes Derby in two weeks.

"He was unlucky at Te Teko - if he'd won there he would be in the Derby field.

"We'd be happy not to run at Matamata, but if he has to he will. He doesn't need it."

Noel Harris was impressed with Twopaddocks, but holds a prior Derby engagement for Congaline, who was withdrawn one hour before Saturday's $100,000 Championship Stakes when he was found to be sore when he arrived on course.

Things might change for Richardson - Congaline's trainer Mark Walker is not confident he can get the 3-year-old to the Derby.

"At Te Rapa he lunged at the gates and stood on the back of the shoe on a front foot. It pulled the shoe back and the toe clip went into his foot.

"He's been tender on it since."

Yesterday morning Walker could find no improvement.

"I couldn't get him to the Derby without another run. There is always the Rating 76 2000m here at Matamata on Saturday, but what I see this morning there is only a slim chance."

Walker said if he can't run Congaline in the Derby he will spell the horse and take him to the Queensland winter carnival.

* * *

Punters lost heavily when favourite You're My Angel was badly checked by Vertrisse who turned sideways as she jumped out of the barriers in the Racing Hall Of Fame 1600 at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Vertrisse drew the outside gate, jumped awkwardly then turned directly to her right, blocking the path of You're My Angel.