NZB Trifecta Season Opener

The first black-type race of the 2024-25 New Zealand season produced a clean sweep for NZB, with Jay Bee Gee (NZ) (Complacent), Freeze Frame (NZ) (Vadamos) and Bradman (NZ) (Pins) filling the first three placings in a thrilling finish to Saturday’s $110,000 Group Three Winning Edge Presentations 127th Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton.

Jay Bee Gee was purchased by Harry Bull for $26,000 from Bradbury Park’s Book 2 draft at Karaka 2019. The gelding has now had 20 starts for six wins, four placings and $175,135 in stakes – almost five times his purchase price. Runner-up Freeze Frame has turned an $80,000 purchase price into $183,060, while the third-placed Bradman has earned $287,467 after being bought for $85,000.

The Adrian Bull-trained Jay Bee Gee went into the Winter Cup as a proven performer over the 1600-metre distance, having recorded four wins and two placings from his nine previous attempts. He was an impressive last-start winner of the Amberley Cup (1600m) over the same course and distance in June, and he won a trial at Foxton in between times. The seven-year-old got into Saturday’s time-honoured race on the minimum weight of 53 kilograms.

Ridden by Kelly Myers, Jay Bee Gee slid forward to sit on the outside of the front-running Green Luck (Street Cry) in the early stages of Saturday’s race, then eased back to third when Bradman surged out of the pack to take over as the field turned out of the back straight.

Jay Bee Gee quickened and threw down a big challenge to Bradman at the home turn, and Bradman responded and lifted again. That pair went to war through the final 300 metres, with Freeze Frame joining in with a flying finish wider out on the track in the final strides. In a three-way photo finish, Jay Bee Gee prevailed by a nose. Freeze Frame finished second, with another nose back to Bradman.

The win was a triumph for Hunterville’s Bull family, with Adrian Bull sharing ownership with his son Harry, along with the estate of Adrian’s late wife Robyn.

“I’m just so over the moon,” Myers said. “I can’t explain how happy I am for Adrian and his family. Robyn will be up there looking down on us.

“They are great family friends of ours, and they’ve been huge supporters of myself and Rosie (Fell, sister). We love winning a maiden race in these colours, so to win a Winter Cup for them is very special.

“I didn’t think we were going to get past Bradman, he put up a really tough fight. I think Warren (Kennedy, riding Freeze Frame) helped us more than anything, finishing down the outside.

“I was just really quietly hopeful cantering back. I thought it was a dead heat and I would’ve been happy with that, but to get it on our own is just awesome.”

Jay Bee Gee was bred by Pencarrow Stud and is out of Huluava (NZ) (Pins), who is the dam of eight other winners including stakes performer William Wallace (NZ) (Darci Brahma). Huluava is also the granddam of Group One winner Pignan (NZ) (Staphanos).

Vendor	Bradbury Park
Purchaser	Mr HL Bull (Manawatu)
Breeding	Complacent – Huluava
Sale	Lot 757, Karaka 2019 Book 2, $26,000
Bred by	Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd

 

Photo credit - Race Images