Fitting Double for Cambridge Stud in NZB Filly of the Year Feature

The New Year’s Day stop in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series holds fond memories for Cambridge Stud, and especially after the 2024 edition of the $225,000 race was renamed in honour of the stud’s legendary former owner Sir Patrick Hogan.

It was the second year in succession that the colours of current Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay have been carried to victory in the Group Two feature, which was formerly known as the Royal Stakes.

Polygon (NZ) (Highly Recommended) won the 2000-metre race 12 months ago at Te Rapa, and the Lindsays defended their title on Monday when the lightly raced About Time (NZ) (American Pharoah) followed suit in the newly renamed Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes.

It was the second win of a five-start career for About Time, who has a half-brother catalogued for Karaka 2024.

She has also recorded two placings, including in last month’s Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m), and she has earned $164,615. She is a half-sister to the multiple Group One placegetter Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock) and the Listed-placed Romantic Lady (NZ) (Power).

Backing up from a sixth in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day, the Lance Noble- trained About Time mastered the step up to 2050 metres on Monday under a perfect ride from record-breaking jockey Warren Kennedy.

She settled second-last for most of the way around the Pukekohe circuit, then found herself at the tail of the field as others began to make their moves approaching the home turn.

But Kennedy bided his time and then spotted a gap one off the rail in the straight, and he drove About Time through. She quickened stylishly and burst to the lead, then had enough left up her sleeve to hold out the fast-finishing Still Bangon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) and Livid Sky (NZ) (Proisir) by three-quarters of a length.

“I thought her last run was pretty good against the best three-year-old fillies around,” Kennedy said. “She just hit a flat spot when they quickened up and never really recovered from that.

“The step up in trip today suited her. I wasn’t sure about the quick back-up, but Lance has done a fantastic job. He’s kept her happy.

“I thought the 2000 metres would be just up her alley. She shot through really nicely in the straight. She hit a bit of a flat spot once she got through, but she had enough left to power on to the line.

“I think she’s an Oaks (2400m) filly. She’s getting better with her temperament. She’s still a handful, but she’s settling down a bit, and I think she’ll enjoy an even bigger step up in distance. I’m not the owners or trainer, so we’ll see where they want to go, but she’s probably put her hand up for that.”

Noble was delighted to deliver the Lindsays a poignant win in a race named in honour of the late, great Sir Patrick Hogan.

“Brendan said how fantastic it would be to win the race named after Sir Patrick, so he’ll get a huge thrill out of that,” Noble said. “It’s a great result for Cambridge Stud.

“Credit to Warren – he sussed this filly out. He said it wasn’t a bad run last time. She has a good finish, and today he was going to let her find her feet. If she handles the ground, he thought she would finish it off, and he was spot on.

“I was happy with how she came through Boxing Day. Not many of them back up in this day and age, but we’re only 20 minutes away. She recovered quickly and we didn’t do a lot with her in between times. She paraded really well today and it was a very good win.

“Before she won today, I was thinking we might give her a break and then look at Brisbane in the winter. That could still be a possibility, but we’ll have other options to weigh up now. We’ll get her home and see.”

About Time’s victory on Monday earned her 8 points in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, which moves her straight into equal fourth on the table alongside Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor).

Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) remains on top with 20 points, followed by Impendabelle (Impending) on 15. Monday’s runner-up Still Bangon already had 6 points to her name after winning last month’s Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m), and she now holds third position with 10.

Cambridge Stud will offer a half-brother to About Time during the upcoming Karaka 2024 yearling sale. The colt by Savabeel will go through the ring as Lot 358 in Book 1.

The seventh leg of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series is the $120,000 Group Three Desert Gold Stakes (1600m), which will be run at Trentham on January 20.

Photo: Race Images