NZB Ready to Run Sale Turning It Up

Smart three-year-old Turn Me Loose (NZ) (Iffraaj) was able to gallantly defy his competition despite the race not going quite to plan in the Group 2 $100,000 DHL Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Hastings on Saturday.

Turn Me Loose (NZ) wins bravely in the Group 2 DHL Hawke’s Bay Guineas. Photo courtesy of Race Images.

Drawing barrier 14 in the 15-horse field, Turn Me Loose’s rider Opie Bosson was left with no choice but to roll around the field to sit outside the leader - working hard to get there aboard the Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman trained runner.

Turn Me Loose put his head in front at the top of the straight but the race was far from over with Longchamp (NZ) (Tavistock) fighting back on his inner and Passing Shot (NZ) (Thewayyouare) having the last crack at him. The Ready to Run Sale graduate resisted both challenges to win by half-a-head, leading home a Karaka trifecta, called over the line by commentator George Simon who bred the son of Iffraaj with this wife Maryanne.

“It was a very brave effort,” commented Forsman. “It was done on raw ability rather than race experience because he is lacking in that but he has plenty of ability.

“We have had a big opinion of him since the first time we galloped him so it was nice to see him show that on the racetrack and hopefully he can go onto bigger and better things. At this stage he will go to the Annie Sarten Memorial as a lead up to Riccarton (Group 1 2000 Guineas).

Saturday’s win was Turn Me Loose’s second victory from only four starts with this other two appearances yielding two runner-up placings. He has earned $76,750 for his owners S Brown, L de Souza, T Hartley, J Lark, D Painter, J Robertson & P Vawdrey.

Turn Me Loose is out of Indomitable (Danehill), a three-quarter-sister to the stakes placed Martial Art (Tiger Hill) being out of Sadler’s Wells mare Kwan, herself a blood-sister to Group 1 winner Fair Lights (Fairy King).

Todd Hartley purchased Turn Me Loose for $52,500 at last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale from George & Maryanne Simon’s Mana Park who have 25 horses catalogued in this year’s Ready to Run Sale.

“He has progressed quickly from the Ready to Run Sale to where he is now and that is testament to the horse’s attitude and the way he has conducted himself – he has been willing to adapt and has been very tractable and obviously he has plenty of ability,” said Forsman.

Turn Me Loose’s victory was one of three Group 2 wins for Karaka graduate’s on the weekend that also returned four Group 1 successes by graduates across three countries.