More Stakes Success for Boots ’N’ All (NZ)

Passed as a yearling at the 2014 South Island Sale, Boots ’N’ All (NZ) (Perfectly Ready) took his stakes earnings to the brink of $250,000 with an impressive victory in Friday’s $50,000 Listed Craigmore Timaru Cup (1600m).

Breeders Bruce Sheat and Cheryl Wilson offered Boots ’N’ All at the 2014 South Island Sale with a $5,000 reserve, but he was passed in.

Trained for the pair by Lance Robinson, he has become one of the South Island’s standout performers. He won the Listed Timaru Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton last January, and he has placed in the last two editions of the lucrative Group 2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m).

In his most recent start, he was a commendable and close-up sixth behind the superstar Karaka graduate Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman) in the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m).

Boots ’N’ All had finished second in last year’s Timaru Cup, but he went one better this time under a big impost of 59.5 kilograms.

With Jacob Lowry in the saddle, he ran home strongly from third-last. Lightweight runner Wild Jack (NZ) (Castledale) opened up a clear lead in the straight, but Boots’N’All overpowered him in the closing stages to win by a neck.

Karaka graduate Kolonel Kev (NZ) (Darci Brahma), who won the race last year, was another head away in third.

Boots ’N’ All has now had 38 starts for nine wins, 12 placings and $248,290 in prizemoney – more than 49 times his reserve at the 2014 South Island Sale.

“That was an unbelievable run,” Robinson said. “He’s been running in the best company all season.

“He was one of the very first horses we were given to train – we’ve had him since he was a yearling. He’s just kept stepping up.

“He’s only a pony, he wouldn’t be any more than 15 hands, and he always carries big weights. But he’s just an amazing little horse.”