Racing: Exceptional results for Whanganui horses in restricted season

The Jo Rathbone-trained, Stephen Gudsell-bred and part-owned Magic Wonder wins Wanganui Horse of the Year after claiming the ARC Great Northern Steeplechase during a pandemic lockdown restricted season. Photo / Trish Dunell

Whanganui horses still managed some exceptional results in the 2020/2021 thoroughbred racing season seriously trimmed by pandemic lockdown rules.

Months, not weeks, trimmed from the calendar limited the number and quality of races horses could be set for, meaning some categories that traditionally feature in the annual Wanganui Jockey Club Awards remain vacant.

Gutsy performances by the Stephen Gudsell-bred Eighth Wonder mare Magic Wonder won her not only the Wanganui Jumper of the Year title, but also the coveted Horse of the Year award.

Trained by Jo Rathbone, the 9-year-old mare won a restricted open steeplechase at Ellerslie under Shaun Fannin in September before ending her season with wins in the Prestige CLC Pakuranga Hunt Cup on the same track, with Barry Donoghue in the saddle, and the Holy Grail of jumping, the ARC Great Northern Steeplechase with Fannin again aboard.

While winning chances were limited through pandemic disruptions, the Auret family ensured at least two categories in the Wanganui awards were filled after recording a black-type double at Riccarton in May.

Both were bred by Nigel and Adaire Auret and both are trained by Marton-based son Fraser.

The Two-year-old of the Year title was never in doubt from the moment the Auret family confirmed a trip south in May for a shot at the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) with an exceptional filly bred at home at Letham.

Unusual Countess' victory was made even sweeter as she provided the family's resident stallion Unusual Suspect with his first New Zealand winner, and his first stakes winner. It is a tough ask for a juvenile to win any race, let alone travelling as far as Riccarton from Marton to win in black-type company on debut.

Classy filly Unusual Countess (inner) claims Wanganui Two-year-old of the Year after winning the Listed Champagne Stakes at Riccarton on debut with Wanganui Rider of the Year Lisa Allpress aboard. Photo / Race Images South

Fraser Auret also produced the family-owned and bred Streak Of Power to win the Listed Easter Stakes (1400m) during the southern sojourn.

Streak Of Power's win in the Listed Daphne Dannan Memorial Great Easter Stakes came off the back of a hat-trick of victories in Rating 65 and Rating 74 Benchmark company over 1400m and earned her the Sprinter/Miler of the Year title.

Wanganui's Leading Rider title again went to Lisa Allpress who posted 90 wins to finish third on the national premiership despite time out for hip replacement surgery.

The four-time national premiership winner also guided Unusual Countess to victory in Christchurch.

Allpress not only missed some of the season through lockdown, but spend nine weeks on the sidelines after going under the surgeon's knife on August 24 last year for a full hip replacement.

William Wallace's win in the Listed Christchurch Casino Spring Classic (2000) was enough, along with some lesser grade performances, to earn him Stayer Of the Year. He is owned by Adrian and Robyn Bull and trained by Adrian Bull.

One of the most versatile gallopers Whanganui has produced over the past decade or two must be Overtheriver who won the Kumara Gold Nuggets at his 100th raceday start.

Trained by the master in Kevin Myers, he was also recording win number 24 and it was his second victory in the iconic Gold Nuggets. Amazingly, it was his fourth win from four starts at Kumara – a record that probably would have been even better were it not for the abandonment of three Kumara meetings in the past seven years.

The Gold Nuggets also cemented his claim as the king of country racing. In addition to the Kumara feature he has won seven country cups: two at Reefton and one each at Greymouth, Blenheim, Tauherenikau, Poverty Bay, and the Ashurst-Pohangina Cup at Awapuni.

Fittingly, Overtheriver was awarded the Most Outstanding Achievement Award.

His astute Wanganui trainer loves taking teams to the rural circuits, none more than the West Coast of the South Island in the first two weeks of January.

Wanganui Most Outstanding Achievement award winner Overtheriver claims his second Kumara Gold Nuggets and his 24th career victory at his 100th start. Photo / Race Images South

Of the 25 races on the three-meeting circuit – which encompasses Greymouth, Reefton and Kumara – Myers won eight, including the triumph of 10-year-old Overtheriver. He also saddled up six horses that finished second – although one of those was beaten by a stablemate.

That helped Myers remain unbeaten in the Trainer of the Year category since the awards began at the turn of the century. Myers finished eighth in the national premiership with 51 winners.

And, as usual, the Turakina-based horseman also won the Tom Corrigan Trophy for the leading jumps trainer after racking up 16 wins, seven clear of his nearest rival. Leading jumps rider was Waverley horseman Isaac Lupton.

The Most Successful Breeder was Judith Hewitt for producing Llanacord.

By Contributer out of the Golan mare L'Accord and trained by part-owner Stephen Nickalls at Rangiotu in the Manawatū District, Llanacord won the Gr2 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes in early March before running an unlucky third in the Gr1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks nearly three weeks later.

While lockdown restrictions appear to be waning, the threat of potential outbreaks has prompted the Wanganui Jockey Club to cancel its awards dinner scheduled for September 26.

"Due to the uncertainties with Covid alert levels and likelihood that we will still be under restrictions in level 2 we have decided to cancel the 2020/21 racing awards this year which was scheduled for September 26," operations manager Bret Field said.

"We have ordered all the trophies though and these will be given/presented to the winners in due course and details will be posted on our website."