New NZB Ready to Run Sale Stakes Winner in Sweynesse

Twain (NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a timely result ahead of next month’s NZB Ready to Run Sale with his first black-type victory in the $140,000 Group Three Sweynesse Stakes (1215m) at Rotorua on Sunday.

The son of Group One-winning mare Fleur De Lune (NZ) (Stravinsky) was offered by Kilgravin Lodge at the 2022 Ready to Run Sale and failed to meet his $200,000 reserve. He has now had 13 starts for seven wins, four placings and $247,970 in stakes for owner-breeder Elizabeth Martin.

The Sweynesse was the second start at Group level for Twain, who finished only 2.2 lengths from the winner when fourth in the Group Two Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa in August.

On Sunday he settled in sixth spot and one off the rail for jockey Vinnie Colgan, then began to build up momentum coming up to the home turn.

Twain stretched out superbly down the straight to reel in Midnight Edition (NZ) (Wrote) and Glamour Tycoon (Written Tycoon) and win by a neck.

“It’s great for myself, the owners and the guys working with me in the stables,” trainer John Bell said. “It’s pretty gratifying for the team. A lot of work has gone into him, he’s had a few issues that we’ve worked around successfully, so it’s a nice result.

“I had him a little underdone in the Foxbridge, he ran fourth and had a good blow afterwards, so we learned from that.

“He was absolutely brilliant today and Vinnie Colgan rode him superbly, it was a true, professional ride. He rode him exactly to plan and the horse responded. Twain is an amazing athlete and both rider and horse deserved the win.

“He’s such a professional horse, he’ll keep going forward from here. We’ll try to keep him happy and place him in the right races, where we’ll hope to get positive results. We’ll let him have a relax now and see what’s about, there’s no panic.”

The 2025 edition of the Ready to Run Sale will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 10am (NZT) on Wednesday 12 & Thursday 13 November, with Breeze Ups to be held at Te Rapa Racecourse on Monday 20 & Tuesday 21 October.