Triple Crown Hopes on the Line for True Enough (NZ)
7 February 2020
Six weeks on from his victory in the Group One Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, True Enough (NZ) (Nom du Jeu) will head to Te Rapa to try to keep his NZB Insurance Weight-for-Age Triple Crown hopes alive.
Saturday’s $400,000 Group One Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) is the second leg of the Weight-for-Age Triple Crown Series, which began with the Zabeel Classic and will conclude in the $200,000 Group One New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on March 7.
The Weight-for-Age Triple Crown is one of three new Series introduced this season under the sponsorship of NZB Insurance – the others being the Sprint Triple Crown and Fillies and Mares’ Triple Crown. Each Series carries a $100,000 bonus for any horse who can win all of the three races.
The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained True Enough took his career to new heights with his Zabeel Classic victory on Boxing Day, having won the Group Two Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) and placed in the Group One Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) in his two previous starts.
He was ridden by star Sydney-based jockey James McDonald in the Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie, but champion local rider Opie Bosson will take the mount at Te Rapa this weekend.
His rivals include Zabeel Classic placegetters Fiscal Fantasy (Skilled) and Beauden (NZ) (Bullbars), along with last year’s Herbie Dyke winner On The Rocks (NZ) (Alamosa) and the in-form Australian raider Luvaluva (NZ) (Mastercraftsman).
The Herbie Dyke Stakes will be run as Race 7 on Saturday with a start time of 3:55pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | True Enough | 8 | A contender for the NZB Insurance Weight-for-Age Triple Crown bonus, True Enough (NZ) (Nom du Jeu) has made a rapid rise through the ranks this season. He scored his first stakes win in the Group 3 Spring Sprint (1400m) at Hastings in October, then added the Group 2 Coupland's Bakeries Mile (1600m) and placed in the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m). His last start was the first leg of the Triple Crown Series, where he scored a determined victory in the Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Opie Bosson |
| 2 | Beauden | 7 | Another of this season's rising stars, Beauden (NZ) (Bullbars) began with a placing in the Group 3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) in November, then produced a big finish for third in the Zabeel Classic. His only subsequent start was in the Listed Marton Cup (2100m) at Awapuni on January 4, which he won with ease. | Team Rogerson | Leith Innes |
| 3 | On The Rocks | 1 | On The Rocks (NZ) (Alamosa) scored the biggest win of his career in last year's edition of the Herbie Dyke Stakes. Gelded during a winter and spring break, he resumed with an effortless win at Tauranga on January 2. He then ran in the Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m), where he struggled to find clear racing room and finished eighth. | Michael Moroney & Pam Gerard | Michael McNab |
| 4 | Tiptronic | 10 | A placegetter in this race last year, Tiptronic (NZ) (O'Reilly) has collected two wins and a placing from six starts this season. His most recent appearance was in a 2100-metre open handicap at Ellerslie on January 12, where he scored a dominant victory by five and a quarter lengths. | Graham Richardson | Jason Waddell |
| 5 | Camino Rocoso | 3 | Once an enigmatic galloper trained in Cambridge, Camino Rocoso (NZ) (Shocking) has turned his career around since relocating to the John and Karen Parsons stable in the South Island. He has won three of his last four starts, including a successful North Island raid in the Group 3 Trentham Stakes (2100m). | John & Karen Parsons | Chris Johnson |
| 6 | Rock On Wood | 2 | A real up-and-comer in the central districts' racing ranks, Rock On Wood (NZ) (Redwood) has won six of his 12 starts to date. He scored his first stakes win in the Listed Anzac Mile (1600m) last April, and in his last two starts he has finished second in the Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) and an unlucky fourth in the Thorndon Mile. | Leanne Elliot | Ryan Elliot |
| 7 | Gino Severini | 4 | Irish-bred gelding Gino Severini (Fastnet Rock) has shown significant talent since his arrival in New Zealand, winning four of his 11 starts in this country and placing in another four. This is his toughest test. | Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley | Danielle Johnson |
| 8 | Luvaluva | 9 | Bred in New Zealand and a $55,000 purchase at the Ready to Run Sale, Luvaluva (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) has become a quality black-type performer in Australia with five stakes victories. She was a high-class three-year-old, and she has roared back to top form with stakes wins in her last two starts in Sydney. She made a flying visit to New Zealand last season, placing in the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m). The longer distance of this race is likely to suit her better. | John Sargent | Koby Jennings |
| 9 | Fiscal Fantasy | 6 | Since breaking through for her first stakes win in the Group 3 Manawatu Breeders' Stakes (2000m) last April, Fiscal Fantasy (Skilled) has become a dependable performer at this level. She won the Group 3 OMF Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie in November, then fought hard for a close second in the Zabeel Classic. In her only start since then, she was second in the Trentham Stakes. | Frank Ritchie | Michael Coleman |
| 10 | The Real Beel | 5 | The Real Beel (NZ) (Savabeel) can be hard to follow, but her best form is very, very good - a close second in last year's $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m), and a powerful victory in the Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at this track in December. | Jim Pender | Sam Collett |