Eamon Macguire delighted his trainer Graeme Anderson with his third in the New Zealand Derby and it made him the horse to beat in Sunday's Alabar Southland Supremacy Stakes at Ascot Park.
“It was a beautiful drive by Jonny Cox and the horse capitalised on it, not all can,” Anderson said, “you never know when you step them up but he proved he's a group one horse. It was a tough run and took him a few days to get over but he's back now in good order and his work shows he's ready.”
The disappointing aspect for Anderson is the 10 draw in the 10 horse field. He doesn't know what will happen at the start but is confident driver Dexter Dunn will make the right moves.
“When you've got a world champion its no use me worrying,” he said.
Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen produced Heaven Rocks to win the Supremacy last year at his fourth start and are trying to go one better this year with Major Hippie. An easy winner on debut three weeks ago, Major Hippie had just his second start last week. Hung out wide early, he was pressured when he made the lead but good enough to hold on.
“It was a great effort,” said Purdon, “he was entitled to be tired but the reports are he is doing well. He doesn't have to lead but then he's probably not the horse others would want sitting outside them.”
Drawn just inside Major Hippie is the Mark Jones rep Whittaker who is unbeaten in his two Southand starts, clocking 2:40.7 over 2200 at Ascot Park and 2:59.8 for 2400 at Wyndham. His second to Mongolian Hero at Rangiora last week will have him ready for a top run on Sunday.
Despite being the right age, Mongolian Hero didn't qualify for the Supremacy having not raced in Southland since his success on this day last year in the Diamond Creek Farm Two Year Old Classic. However, he will be running in the last of the day.
As well as having a leading hope in the Supremacy, Jones has one in the
Nevele R Stud/Macca Lodge Southland Oaks in the form of Delightful Memphis. A winner of the group three Caduceus Club of Southland Two Year Old Fillies Classic on Ascot Park last year, the daughter of Bettor's Delight continued her unbeaten run in the south winning on Wairio Mobile day in 1:51.9. She backed up a fortnight later from a stand in the 2400 metres Winton Businesses Cup, clocking a national record for females of 2:55.5.
Regular driver Blair Orange was aboard for those wins but was at Alexandra Park the night of her next start at Addington. Although one of New Zealand's best was unavailable, Jones had the luxury of calling on a past World Champion and drove her himself. In a small but select field in a Nevele R Fillies heat, Delightful Memphis sat parked for the last 700 metres and failed by just half a length to get past Partyon.
That run, her competitiveness against the best throughout her career, and her draw on Sunday of two, make her the horse to beat. However, Seaswift Joy and Bonnie Joan are also well credentialled and their presence makes the Oaks the race of the day.
After arriving in the south last spring and winning her way through the grades, Seaswift Joy ventured north for a Nevele R heat in the rain at Methven. One of her scalps that day was Delightful Memphis – the gap between them seven and a half lengths. Seaswift Joy was placed in her next three, behind Spanish Armada and Delightful Memphis in a heat at Addington, Delightful Memphis on Wairio Mile Day, and Bonnie Joan and Somejoy in a heat at Forbury Park.
Too soon to write her off though. At Ascot Park last week, from the outside of the front line. Seaswift Joy came over the top of a good field of all ages to win in 2:41.3. As an Oaks preview, her co-trainer and driver Gordon Lee was thrilled.
Back in January, Seaswift Joy won over a mile at Wyndham in 1:54.2. Runner up, half a neck back, was Bonnie Joan who subsequently won a mile of her own at Ashburton in 1:52.8. Then, on the same day Delightful Memphis paced 2:55.5 from a stand at Winton, Bonnie Joan went 2:53.8 from behind the mobile. The Tuapeka Lodge-bred and owned filly, winner of six from nine, hasn't raced since her Nevele R heat win at Forbury Park but according to her trainer Cran Dalgety, is ready for a big one.
“She just has to hold her form rather than improve but there are three strong chances and which one, your guess is as good as mine,” he said. “The 2700 shouldn't worry her, her mother was a stayer and the filly ran a quick time winning at 2400.”
Mac Henry