New Name to be Added to NZB Finance Sprint Honour Roll
14 April 2016
A different name is set to be added to the winners’ list when the $50,000 Listed NZB Finance Sprint (1200m) is run at Hastings on Saturday.
The race is now in its third year as a Listed event, and the first two runnings were both taken out by Whosyourmaster (NZ) (Captain Rio). That runner is absent tomorrow, leaving the way clear for a different horse to stake their claim.
The race has drawn an even and talented field of 14 sprinters. At the top of the weights is the locally trained Adventador (NZ) (Fast ‘n’ Famous), who won the Group 1 Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham two starts back.
South Island Sale graduate Natuzzi (NZ) (Coats Choice) and the locally trained Designated Driver (NZ) (Danroad) have both been Group One placed, while Barbaric (NZ) (Pins), Passing Shot (NZ) (Swiss Ace), Goldminer (NZ) (Gold Mine), Procurement (NZ) (O’Reilly), Silver Eclipse (NZ) (Darci Brahma), Smashing (NZ) (Pins) and She’s Slinky (NZ) (Handsome Ransom) have all performed at black-type level.
The promising Bonniegirl (NZ) (Darci Brahma) was a highly impressive winner at Te Aroha last week, while Miss Denni (NZ) (Pins) makes her New Zealand debut in this event after making 13 starts in Australia for three wins and six placings.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Adventador | 1 | Winner of the Group 1 Telegraph over this distance in January, local runner Adventador (NZ) (Fast 'n' Famous) has had nine starts at Hastings for three wins and four placings. He was placed in this race last year. | Guy Lowry & Grant Cullen | |
| 2 | Natuzzi | 14 | South Island Sale graduate Natuzzi (NZ) (Coats Choice) is the winner of 10 races and more than $450,000 in prize-money. He has been placed in four Group 1 races. | Peter, Dawn Williams & Paul Richards | Chris Johnson |
| 3 | Barbaric | 10 | Barbaric (NZ) (Pins) has won eight races, two at stakes level, and was successful in his only previous start at the course. | Stephen Marsh | |
| 4 | Passing Shot | 7 | Bought at Karaka for $50,000, Passing Shot (NZ) (Swiss Ace) has won eight races and more than $230,000 in prize-money. He comes into this on the back of a dominant last-start win in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m). | Stephen McKee & Eddie Chippendale | Opie Bosson |
| 5 | Goldminer | 12 | Goldminer (NZ) (Gold Mine) may be eight years old and the veteran of 53 starts, but she showed she has lost none of her blistering speed when she ran a close second last start, clocking 1:08.53 for 1200 metres. She has won two of her three starts at Hastings. | Shaune Ritchie | |
| 6 | Procurement | 11 | Speedy mare Procurement (NZ) (O'Reilly) has earned more than $100,000 and was an impressive last-start winner over this distance at Ellerslie. | Stephen Marsh | |
| 7 | Silver Eclipse | 9 | Listed winner Silver Eclipse (NZ) (Darci Brahma) was a fast-finishing second in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) at Trentham last start. Excels on dry tracks, so the fine weather forecast is ideal. | Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie | Matt Cameron |
| 8 | Speech Craft | 4 | Awapuni visitor Speech Craft (Oratorio) was the winner of his only previous start at Hastings. | Trina Riddell | Dylan Mo |
| 9 | Designated Driver | 6 | Trained locally at Hastings, Designated Driver (NZ) (Danroad) finished second in last year's Group 1 Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham. | Sue Thompson & Mick Brown | Robert Hannam |
| 10 | She's Slinky | 2 | Handsome Ransom mare She's Slinky (NZ) finished second in this race last year behind Whosyourmaster. | Greg Lambert | Leah Hemi (a) |
| 11 | Smashing | 13 | Third in the Lightning Handicap (1200m) last start, Smashing (NZ) (Pins) has performed admirably in strong sprinting company throughout this season. | Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards | Cameron Lammas |
| 12 | Miss Denni | 3 | Making her New Zealand debut, Miss Denni (NZ) (Pins) has recorded three wins and six placings in 13 starts in Australia. She has finished first or second in all of her last four appearances. | Tony Pike | Mark Du Plessis |
| 13 | Bonniegirl | 5 | Bonniegirl (NZ) (Darci Brahma) defied a speed-favouring track at Te Aroha last Saturday with a stunning finishing burst to win in Rating 85 level. This is her toughest test yet. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Michael Coleman |
| 14 | Swiss Warrior | 8 | Swiss Warrior (NZ) (Swiss Ace) is running at stakes level for the first time, but has recorded three wins and two placings in his eight career starts. | Graeme & Debbie Rogerson |