Coventina Bay (NZ) Caps Karaka Trifecta

Karaka graduates finished first, second and third in Saturday’s $70,000 Group Three J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa, with Coventina Bay (NZ) (Shamexpress) recording an impressive victory. 

Coventina Bay was offered by Windsor Park Stud at the 2017 Select Sale and was passed in with a $20,000 reserve. Saturday’s win was the sixth of her 10-start career, and her first at stakes level, and lifted her career earnings to $110,000. Runner-up Prise De Fer (NZ) (Savabeel) cost $100,000 at the 2017 Premier Sale and has earned $264,675, while third-placed Vigor Winner (Declaration of War) has returned $189,550 in prize-money after being purchased for $50,000 at the 2017 Ready to Run Sale.

But Saturday was all about Coventina Bay, who had always shown real promise as she rose through the grades. This was her time to shine.

There was a strong pace out in front, which played right into the hands of Coventina Bay’s booming finish, and she duly delivered in the hands of jockey Samantha Collett.

Coventina Bay was second-last around the home turn, but stretched out powerfully down the outside of the track to finish over the top of Prise De Fer and take the lead. Prise De Fer fought back strongly on her inside, but Coventina Bay kept kicking and held him at bay by a long head. Vigor Winner was another three and a half lengths away in third.

“The pace helped her today,” Collett said. “She hopped away a tough better than normal, although she was always going to be back.

“She still had plenty left in the tank as I got to Opie (Bosson, riding Prise De Fer) pretty easily and she has waited for them a little bit. She is going to keep on improving, and when she is on, she is on.

“She’s got a phenomenal turn of foot and is exciting to ride. She seems to make an effortless job of picking them up.

“She’s been mixing her distances in this prep, but I really think she is screaming out for the mile now.”

Coventina Bay is trained by Robbie Patterson in New Plymouth.

“I’ve got to take my hat off to this horse,” he said. “She’s only 15 hands and has had a lot of issues. She was a real hard horse early on, but she’s got the heart of a lion.

“Our targets have been these handicap Group races, as she is only a little horse and we can get her in down in the weights.

“It’s onwards and upwards now. She had a bit of cheek about her today – she got to the front and pulled up a little.”

Vendor	Windsor Park Stud
Purchaser	-
Breeding	Shamexpress – Coventina
Sale	Lot 628, 2017 Select Sale, Psd (Res $20,000)
Bred by	EVB