Hastings-trained Mohaka stretches her neck out to cling on for victory after leading practically all the way.
The win by Hastings-trained Mohaka in last Saturday's Listed $50,000 Feilding Cup at Awapuni was especially significant for several reasons.
Not only was it senior jockey Darryl Bradley's 100th black type win but it also brought up the 200th success for the Hastings training partnership of Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen. And it was Lowry's second victory in the 2100m event after he prepared Lilakyn to take out the race in 2005.
Another significant thing, but on the downside, was that the event carried a stake of $60,000 when Lilakyn won it and it is now worth $10,000 less.
It was an outstanding training feat by the Lowry/Cullen stable as Mohaka was stepping up hugely in distance after winning over 1200m at Woodville in September and having had only two 1400m runs since.
Bradley was having his first ride on the mare and he let her roll to the lead with a round to go, dictating the pace from then on. He had her travelling on a nice rein starting the last 800m and put a break on the field by sticking hard up against the inside fence and zipping around the home bend.
It proved the winning move as Mohaka quickly had a three-length advantage and, although Lubaya started to mount a strong challenge in the final stages, she was able to hold on by a short neck.
Bradley said there was definitely no pre-race plan to lead, but he had no option.
"We jumped out that well and she felt so strong there was no point in dragging her back. I had to use my initiative and had to make the horse feel relaxed and happy in the running," he said.
"She was travelling really comfortable and, at the half-mile, I thought 'jeez this is good'. I still had plenty of horse underneath me."
Bradley began race-riding in the early 1980s and, while there had been some stellar career highlights including a Group 1 Doomben Cup on Sapio, it had been three years since he had last won a black-type race, hence his special victory salute after crossing the line aboard Mohaka.
Despite finding it harder to land the plum rides in recent times, the 54-year-old former champion jockey feels he is still riding as well as ever.
He has been one of New Zealand's most successful jockeys and is eighth on the all-time list for most wins in New Zealand behind David Walsh (2451), Chris Johnson (2447), Lance O'Sullivan (2355), Noel Harris (2167), Bill Skelton (2156), Michael Coleman (2131) and David Peake (2093).
He has now ridden 1811 career winners in New Zealand. His best season was in 1998-99 when he won the NZ jockeys premiership with a career-best 133 wins. He also broke the 100-win barrier in the 2003-04 season with 106 wins, and in 1999-00 he finished on 99 wins.
He has also ridden 17 winners in Malaysia and three in Mauritius.
Despite his record, Bradley said he was finding it hard to get regular rides. Where he was once riding in as many as 600 races a season, he was now averaging between 100 and 150. He supplements his income by being the track manager at the Foxton racecourse.
But he says he has no plans to retire from race-riding just yet.
Mohaka was chalking up her third win from 19 starts but has also recorded 10 minor placings, including three in Listed black-type races as a three-year-old. She finished second in the Warstep Stakes (2000m) and third in the Zacinto Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton and was also third in the Wanganui Guineas (1340m).
Guy Lowry is the first to admit Mohaka has not been an easy horse to train. She is a former barrier rogue and sometimes needs the encouragement of a whip just to get her in to action at Hastings trackwork sessions.
The mare was on a quick back-up last Saturday after finishing fifth over 1400m at Trentham the previous Saturday and, although stepping from a sprint to a middle distance was always going to be challenging, Lowry said he was following the methods used by the late champion Australian trainer Bart Cummings.
Lowry spent several years working for the Cummings stable as a young man and says that is where he learnt the art of training racehorses.
"It was very common for Bart to give a horse a 1200m sprint, a 1400m sprint and then straight into a 2000m race," Lowry said this week.
"This mare had three sprint races before stepping to 2100m and it has always been our plan to get her back up to a middle distance."
Mohaka was bred by Lowry's Taupō-based father Pat who races her in partnership with two other Taupō people, Len Vickers and Lissie Hobson, as well as Hawke's Bay couple Fred and Juliet Coates.
The daughter of Nadeem mare is out of the No Excuse Needed mare Diplomacy, who was the winner of four races and does have some staying blood in her pedigree.
Lowry said Mohaka would now be given a two-week spell and then be aimed at the Group 2 $100,000 Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa on December 12 followed by the $50,000 Taupō Cup (2000m) on December 30.
Winning the Taupō Cup would be special for the mare's breeder Pat Lowry, who is a past president of the Taupō Racing Club.
Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen began training in partnership 10 years ago, after both had successfully trained on their own. They have produced a steady stream of winners since including a Group 1 winning double in the Telegraph Sprint at Trentham, with Irish Fling (2014) and Adventador (2016), and the 2017 Group 1 Livamol Classic at Hastings with Wait A Sec.
The good run being enjoyed by Hastings thoroughbred owner Peter Grieve continued last Saturday when Toscanini won a $A38,000 maiden race over 1250m at Newcastle, in Australia.
Grieve is a part-owner of The Cossack and got to lead the horse back to the winner's stall after he won the $125,000 Great Northern Hurdles (4200m) at Ellerslie on October 17.
He is also part of a large group of people that race Toscanini from the Warwick Farm stable of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
The three-year-old Fastnet Rock colt was having his fifth start and had previously recorded two seconds, a third and a fifth.
He was a $270,000 purchase from the 2019 Karaka yearling sales and is out of the High Chaparral mare Soubrettes, whose five wins included the Group 3 Stewards Handicap (1200m) at Riccarton.
Toscanini was ridden to victory last Saturday by former New Zealand jockey Rory Hutchings, who settled the horse into a perfect trail behind the leader before lodging his claim early in the home straight. The colt raced away over the final stages for an impressive 1-3/4 length win.
The Members' Council of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) announced three new appointments to the NZTR board on Wednesday.
The new appointees - Darryll Park, Andrew Fairgray and Mike Clarke - will take up their positions after the NZTR annual meeting on Tuesday, November 17.
At that time, chairman Dr Alan Jackson and board members Victoria Carter and Rick Williams will depart.
Jackson said while it had been a challenging time to lead the organisation in difficult times, he had been proud of the collective efforts of his fellow board members.
"My five-year stint as the NZTR chair has included the introduction of the Health and Safety in the Workplace Act, the Messara Review, the Racing Industry Act and, in the final few months, the Covid-19 crisis," Jackson said.
Departing deputy chair Victoria Carter has played a significant part in representing New Zealand racing on the international stage during her seven years on the board, specifically around participant welfare. A highlight has been chairing a welfare panel at the Asian Racing Conference.
The third board member to leave this year, Rick Williams, has been a major contributor in the area of the business of racing, including work on venues and integrity.
Those replacing this trio were appointed following a robust interview process for the positions, which attracted 32 applicants.
Darryll Park (Christchurch) is a seasoned director with experience with the Crusaders Rugby Franchise. He has previously held executive roles within Air NZ and Christchurch and Canterbury Marketing and is a life member of the Canterbury Jockey Club. He is a fellow of the NZ Institute of Management and an Accredited Member of the Institute of Directors.
Andrew Fairgray (Auckland) brings a blend of entrepreneurial, data and IT knowledge to the board table. Having held lead roles with 2degrees, where he is currently chief business officer, Vodafone and Alcatel, Andrew is also a former board member of the Auckland Racing Club and is a racehorse owner.
Mike Clarke (Auckland) is a partner at KPMG with a background in accountancy and management training. His expertise is in the areas of gaming, IT, hospitality and tourism and he is also a previous owner of racehorses.
As flagged in Wednesday's announcement, the Members' Council has proposed amendments to the constitution which would allow the NZTR board to comprise between five and seven directors.
Should this constitutional change be approved it is the Members' Council intention to appoint Bruce Sherwin to the board.
Bruce Sherwin (Hamilton) provides extensive racing knowledge across a broad number of areas and jurisdictions.
On behalf of the Members' Council, chairman Paul Humphries said the council was very impressed with the quality and depth of the applicants for the roles.
"The combination of the new appointees and the incumbent NZTR board members – Jason Fleming, Cameron George and Bruce Sharrock – provides the right blend of abilities, skill sets and racing knowledge to shape and lead the industry through changes going forward due to the Racing Industry Act 2020 coming into effect," he said.
For the second term in succession, the Deputy Prime Minister will also be the Minister for Racing in New Zealand.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has revealed the ministerial positions for the new Government.
Grant Robertson has been promoted to Deputy Prime Minister. In addition, Robertson will continue to serve as Finance Minister and also focus on infrastructure, sport and recreation and racing.
Robertson replaces Winston Peters, who played a key role in ensuring the racing industry received a $72.5 million Covid-19 emergency support package in May, a lifeline for the industry and its 15,000 full-time employees.