Field of 12 for $100,000 Karaka Stayers Cup

A field of 12 horses has been assembled for the $100,000 Windsor Park Stud Karaka Stayers Cup (2200m) during the Karaka Million Twilight Meeting at Ellerslie on Sunday.

Added to New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka Million Series in 2014, the Karaka Stayers Cup is open to all Karaka Yearling Sale graduates, whether they have been entered in the Karaka Million Series or not. However, the race will become eligible to only horses entered in the Series from 2018.

This year’s field is headed by Sampson (NZ) (Dubai Destination), who comes into this race on the back of the biggest win of his career to date. The seven-year-old claimed the first stakes success of his career last start when he won the Group 3 Trentham Stakes. Trained by Howie Mathews and owned by his wife Lorraine, Sampson will be ridden by Reese Jones and will jump from gate 1.

Candle In The Wind (NZ) (Darci Brahma) is a previous winner of this race, scoring an impressive victory in 2015. She ran second in the Group 3 City of Auckland Cup in her most recent start. Trained by Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs at Ruakaka, the seven-year-old mare has drawn 12.

Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup winner Chenille (NZ) (Pentire) has won six of her 23 starts and resumed with a second placing earlier this month. One of two runners in the field trained by Tony Pike, she has drawn gate 4. She is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Chintz (NZ) (Savabeel).

Blizzard (NZ) (Any Suggestion) cost $35,000 at Karaka and has amassed more than five times that amount in stakes. He has won six of his 36 starts and has recorded multiple placings at stakes level. The Emma-Lee and David Browne-trained Blizzard has drawn gate 9.

In-form runner Woodsman (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) has won twice in his current campaign, along with four other top-four finishes in his eight starts. Trained by Tony Gillies, the five-year-old will jump from gate 6.

Zacada (NZ) (Zabeel) has been held in high regard since as astonishing five-length debut win as a two-year-old, and two wins and four placings in his last six starts suggest he is starting to deliver on that potential. Trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman and ridden by Matt Cameron, the four-year-old has drawn 11.

O’Reilly mare Symphonic (NZ) has made a big impression with her rise through the grades this season, winning or placing in all of her six appearances. She carried a hefty 60 kilograms to win at Ellerslie on December 3, then ran third in the Dunstan Feeds Stayers’ Championship Final on New Year’s Day. Trained by Peter and Dawn Williams and Paul Richards, the four-year-old has drawn gate 7.

Sacred Shot (NZ) (Savabeel) is a half-brother to the multiple stakes winner High Fashion (NZ) (O’Reilly) and has made a big impression in his brief four-start career to date. The Tony Pike-trained runner finished second in both of his first two starts before recording back-to-back wins at Ellerslie. The four-year-old gelding will jump from gate 10.

What A Diva (NZ) (Pentire) is a half-sister to the Group 1 winner and sire Fully Fledged (NZ) (Align). Trained by Stephen Marsh, she has picked up two wins and three placings from 13 starts so far and was a last-start fifth in the Dunstan Feeds Stayers’ Championship Final. She has drawn gate 3.

The current season form line for Neala (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) is far from flattering, with no top-three finishes in six appearances, but her performances have been far better than those results give her credit for. She has been running on strongly almost every time and finishing close behind strong opposition, including a fast-finishing fourth in October, 1.9 lengths from subsequent multiple stakes winner Coldplay (NZ) (Savabeel). The two-race winner is trained by Linda Laing and will be ridden by Rogan Norvall, who has recently returned to riding after a long time on the sidelines with a broken leg. Neala has drawn 8.

Matamata mare Mistrahma (NZ) (Darci Brahma) comes into the race with solid form, finishing in the first five and within three lengths of the winner in all of her last three appearances. Trained by Graham Richardson, she will jump from gate 2.

Rounding out the field is the eight-year-old St Petersburg gelding Team Pete (NZ), who has won just twice in his 48-start career but has picked up a number of placings including a second behind race rival Zacada. He is trained by Caroline Pomare and will jump from gate 5.

The six-race programme is scheduled to commence at 4.58pm with the first race of the Karaka Million Series, the $100,000 Windsor Park Stud Karaka Stayers Cup running at 5.33pm as Race 2, followed by the Res. Listed $100,000 NZB Insurance Karaka 3YO Mile at 6.07pm as Race 3 and the Res. Listed $1m Karaka Million race at 7.16pm as Race 5.

The Karaka Million Twilight Meeting at Ellerslie on the eve of the Karaka 2017 Premier Sale, this Sunday 29 January. A range of hospitality options are available with tickets on sale at www.ellerslie.co.nz.

For information on the enhanced Karaka Million Series, click here.