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There was no love lost between Kelly McCulloch and Rosie Myers at the end of a testing Gr.3 New Zealand Cup at Riccarton on Saturday.
The sisters fought out a desperate finish in the Christchurch Casino-sponsored marathon with the older sibling gaining the upper hand on the line aboard Pump Up The Volume by half a head.
Trained by part-owner Ralph Manning, the genuine son of Savabeel came wide on the home turn and he finished doggedly to take the major prize from Myers’ mount Perfect Start.“He got a bit lost out there on his own and I thought Rosie may have nabbed me,” McCulloch said.
“The key to these two mile races is to put them to sleep and he had no trouble. He’s a great horse and a pleasure to ride.”Pump Up The Volume relaxed well toward the back of the field before improving 800 metres from home when the well-supported Nymph Monte also made his move.
“I got on the back of the favourite and I knew I was going better than him,” McCulloch said.It was the 33-year-old’s third Cup victory having won aboard Hoorang in 2008 and with Mungo Jerry in 2014.
Perfect Start also settled at the tail-end but, unlike her sister, Myers came between runners on the Wayne Hillis-trained outsider and that nearly proved a winning move for the 29-year-old.Imperium ran on gallantly to take third money from Gentil Tonton and the hot-pot Nymph Monte was next home. He was under pressure before the turn and boxed on well on a track wetter than he prefers.