NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Stratford Press

Taranaki horseman Robbie Patterson returning from Queensland expedition

Stratford Press
13 Jul, 2021 08:45 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Taranaki trainer Robbie Patterson. Photo / Trish Dunell

Taranaki trainer Robbie Patterson. Photo / Trish Dunell

Taranaki horseman Robbie Patterson was pleased with the run of stable star Coventina Bay in Sunday's Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast, despite the five-year-old mare not getting the rub of the green.

Shuffled back to near last, the daughter of Shamexpress made a wide looping run to be beaten just over three lengths in ninth, rounding out her campaign, which culminated in three starts in Queensland.

"It was just a slowly run race, which didn't suit," Robbie says

"Emerald King got pulled out of the race, late scratched, and he was the pace of the race. It just ended up a procession. I'd say her sectionals will be just as good as the winner's, but if you're last at the top of the straight you're in a pile of trouble."

A multiple Gr.3 winner and Gr.1 placed in New Zealand before her Queensland campaign, Coventina Bay will now enjoy a spell in the sunshine state.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Despite not getting the results on the scoreboard, Robbie will return from the venture with a lot of learnings and enthusiasm to campaign more horses in Queensland through the winter.

"If she comes back next year, I'll change tact. If you have a get-back sprinter here [Queensland], you're wasting your time I think. I'll start stepping her up over ground if she's to come back here. She'll go over 2000m I'd say. Sam [Collet, jockey] doesn't seem to think it'd be any problem getting over ground, she just relaxes so well in the running. She ran out the Rich Hill Mile (Gr.2, 1600m) really well when third. She's so relaxed in the running I don't see why she can't extend in trip."

Robbie dropped Coventina Bay off at a Sunshine Coast spelling property on Monday, where she will have a break until early September, before building up on a water walker for another four weeks before returning to his New Plymouth stable.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A Hawke's Bay campaign will not be on the cards for Coventina Bay in spring, with summer racing the focus, Robbie says.

"It is hard to get horses ready for the Hawke's Bay Carnival in Taranaki and there are races like the Thorndon Mile (Gr.1, 1600m), which now they are set-weights and penalties, thin right out. Our target is to get more Gr.1 black type."

The Queensland foray proved a great learning opportunity for Patterson, who was based at Eagle Farm with Coventina Bay and Puntura.

"It's been amazing. I've stayed with Barry Baldwin at Eagle Farm and he's just been terrific and I've learnt a hell of a lot. Brian Smith is the neighbouring stable and you talk to guys like that all the time, you pick up little things. I got here three weeks before their first race because it was the only direct flight I could get and the horses just did so well. John Wheeler pre-warned me that they would do well, and I never took it lightly, but I didn't expect them to do this well. I carried on working them the same and I trialled them and they just ate and thrived in the sun," Robbie says.

"If I did it again, I'd try to get over 10 days before and I'd cut the feed back. Just with the warmth, they got away on me. Puntura was 30 kilos over his racing weight when he went to the races and Coventina Bay was 15 kilos over and it wasn't until Sunday that she was bang on her racing weight and she ran a really good race. I've got owners who want to come next year, and I'd be bring more a progressive staying type. Places like the Sunshine Coast, Ipswich or Doomben on a Wednesday are still racing for $35,000 and if they go well you can target races in town on a Saturday through the carnival."

Robbie has Zaffire Bay and Dame Vera set to go around at Wanganui on Thursday, with the pair both scratched from the Cambridge meeting on Wednesday after drawing poorly.

"Zaffire Bay is a new runner for the stable and has been working well and Dame Vera, she won well last start and she's still a bit of a work in progress. Johnathan Parkes is on and he's won a trial on her before and he really likes her, so both are chances."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Stratford Press

Stratford Press

A stroll through the history of the Stratford Press

16 Dec 06:13 AM
Stratford Press

Opinion: A year of change and challenges for our community

16 Dec 02:11 AM
Opinion

Carl Bates: Christmas under the mountain - a year on

16 Dec 02:03 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Stratford Press

A stroll through the history of the Stratford Press

A stroll through the history of the Stratford Press

16 Dec 06:13 AM

Stratford Press prints last issue as NZME closes 14 community papers nationwide.

Opinion: A year of change and challenges for our community

Opinion: A year of change and challenges for our community

16 Dec 02:11 AM
Carl Bates: Christmas under the mountain - a year on

Carl Bates: Christmas under the mountain - a year on

16 Dec 02:03 AM
Stratford council to oppose Treaty bill, citing lack of consultation

Stratford council to oppose Treaty bill, citing lack of consultation

16 Dec 12:07 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Stratford Press e-edition
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP