new zealand bloodstock news anz - Anzbloodstocknews.com

2 COVER STORy
Continued from page 1
Having notched 17 wins and NZ$2,734,767 in prize money,
Mufhasa (7 g Pentire – Sheila Cheval, by Mi Preferido) is a
magnificent return on investment after being purchased by David
Archer for $50,000 at the 2006 New Zealand Bloodstock Select
Yearling Sale, from the draft of Rich Hill Stud.
Archer shares the ownership with his partner, Diane Wright,
along with son and daughter, Simon and Natalie Archer.
Saturday’s win was his fifth under weight-for-age conditions
and having won the Telegraph Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) on two
occasions at Trentham, brought his course record to three wins
from four starts.
McKee and connections will now decide whether or not the return
for another crack at the Telegraph on 21 January at Trentham,
prior to a start in the Waikato Draught Sprint (Gr 1, 1400m) on 11
February at Te Rapa.
“We’ve certainly nominated him [for the Telegraph], but we’ll give
him a couple of weeks freshen-up now. He’ll definitely run in the
Waikato Draught, but he’ll have to run somewhere before that, so
we’ll certainly look at the Telegraph,” said McKee.
During a current campaign of five starts Mufhasa has included
the Windsor Park Plate (Gr 1, 1600m) at Hastings, to go with his
wins in the Toorak, and now the Captain Cook, in a stint McKee
suggests is aided by having his feet in good condition.
“He’s always had little niggles with mainly his front feet over
the years, but they’ve all grown out and are more symmetrical and
in proportion this year, so he’s been pain free, sounder, and he’s
racing accordingly.”
PLAyING GOD DOUBLES UP
Playing God (Blackfriars) bounced back from a disappointing
Melbourne Spring campaign by going back-to-back in the Kingston
Town Classic (Gr 1, 1800m) at Ascot with a big performance.
Steven Parnham gave Playing God every chance, racing just
behind the pace and poised to challenge into the straight. Playing
God loomed large into the straight and then powered away,
eventually defeating the fast-finishing Ranger (Testa Rossa) by one
length with three-year-old King Saul (Flying Pegasus) in third.
Trainer Neville Parnham explained afterwards that he had
changed the horses training formula to include beach and bush
work. “It seems everyone had written him off bar me.” an emotional
Parnham said, adding that Playing God would now be spelled and
be aimed at another campaign in Melbourne during the Autumn.
“We probably expected too much from in the Railway,” Parnham
said. “Top-weights don’t have a good record in the race and he had
the sprint taken out of his legs in the Group 1 races in Melbourne.
“I’ve had to change a lot of training routine around with him
and taken him out to my farm and the beach every day. It’s been a
terrific result because most people had written him off and I was
the only one who didn’t. I just asked Steven to ride him in the same
position as last year - one-one - and it worked.”
ADVERTISING alice@anzbloodstocknews.com
Sunday 4 December 2011 ANZ
Playing God ANZ
Playing God (4 h Blackfriars – Dolly Will Do, by Rubiton) has now
won seven of his 22 starts and after yesterday’s win his earnings
now total $1,381,425.
DURHAM TOWN FLIES HOME IN
CONCORDE
Although new to the ranks of top echelon racing, Durham Town (4
g Falkirk – Durham Walk, by Marju) measured up with aplomb to
justify his favouritism in The Aussie Butcher-sponsored Concorde
Handicap (Gr 2, 1200m) on Saturday at Ellerslie, writes Jeff Dore.
While plans to tuck in behind the pace went awry, talented young
rider Jason Collett got Durham Town home in 33.83 off the front
for the last 600 metres, in a sectional that made it difficult for
his rivals, and he stuck to his guns in the straight to win by half a
length in 1:09.51.
Trained by Donna & Dean Logan at Ruakaka, the bullish 16.3hh,
566kg, gelding further enhanced his course-distance record to five
wins from six starts in a career that has only seen him in action
seven times.
“I know he had a light weight on his back [52.5kg], but he’s a
very, very talented horse,” said Donna Logan.
“We were hoping he might be a star on the rise and our judgement
could be right. He has shown so much with so little racing.”
Finishing second, Upsala (Oratorio), trained by Ken Rae, made it
a quinella for Ruakaka trainers, while third placed Rough Odds is
owned by the sponsor, Keith & Lyn Oddy.
Logan purchased Durham Town as a yearling for $43,000 at
the 2009 New Zealand Bloodstock Festival Sale, from the draft of
Nerobella Lodge. She also bought his half-sister by Lucky Unicorn
(Redoute’s Choice) the following year.
“He was an absolute standout and really caught my eye,” said
Logan. “I like to have a crack at young stallions, like Falkirk (Tale
of the Cat), and I liked the fact there was some Sir Tristram (Sir
Ivor) in the second dam [Majestic Walk]. He ticked all the boxes
on vetting, so really he was the type of horse I like to buy. I’d done
EDITORIAL editor@anzbloodstocknews.com