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Pint sized performer scores in City Of Auckland Cup

3 minute read

Although she is no bigger than a pony, pint sized mare Decorah demonstrated the heart of a lion as she demolished her rivals to score handsomely in the Gr. 3 Scot Thrust Auckland Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie.

Decorah winning the City Of Auckland Cup
Decorah winning the City Of Auckland Cup Picture: Trish Dunell

The six-year-old daughter of Waikato Stud sire Pins had put the writing on the wall that a big performance was on offer after she finished a gallant third carrying top weight of 60kgs behind Vavasour in the Gr. 3 Waikato Cup at her last start. Heavy rain during the morning brought her further into contention given her record on wet tracks with punters installing her second favourite behind Farm Boy at start time.

She didn’t let her supporters down as Opie Bosson settled her behind midfield in the early running as pacemaker Jagersfontein set up a steady speed at the head of affairs. Race favourite Farm Boy and rider Vinnie Colgan seized the initiative approaching the home turn as they went for the doctor and established a three length advantage commencing the run home.

Bosson hadn’t panicked as he set out after the leader with Decorah hitting the front with 300 metres to run. Challenged gamely by firstly Rose Of Virginia and then King Kamada the mare found plenty in reserve as she won drawing away at the finish by a comfortable one and a quarter lengths in 2.33.67 for the 2400 metre journey.

“She’s only a midget but she doesn’t give in and favours it here at Ellerslie,” noted co-trainer Murray Baker.

“She also likes the cut in the tracks so she had a fair bit on her side.

“I thought she might have got to the front a little too early when she went up to them but to her credit she never stops fighting and held them out comfortably at the finish.”

Baker was delighted with the performance of stablemate Show The World who flashed home from the rear of the field to take fifth, while he remained philosophical about the late scratching of talented filly Coldplay from the previous event.

“She can get a little grumpy and when the one next to her went off in the stall she decided she was going to lie down,” he said.

“There’s not much you can do about it but when they are young like she is it’s not a habit you really want to see them get into.”


NZ Racing News

Ellerslie

Friday, 01st January 2016

7
16:22
(local)

City Of Auckland Cup (G3)

WT: 53kg Type: OPEN
NZD $200,000
2400m TURF SLOW
7
16:22
(local)
NZD $200,000
2400m SLOW

City Of Auckland Cup (G3)

WT: 53kg Type: OPEN

The G3 2400m Open Handicap saw the noted swimmer Decorah prove too strong the run home and clock a sluggish 2:33.67. The mare was ninth the outer before moving up wide into sixth at the 600m then swam to the front at the 300m and never looked like getting beaten from this point onwards. It was her seventh win in thirty-five starts and after today two of those have come at G3. Her range is good having won from 1200m to 2400m now and whenever a wet track arises she comes into the reckoning although after today WFA may be her only path now due to the handicapper sure to have a hefty say. Rose Of Virginia was a brave second after racing tenth and wide the whole way but did receive 4.5kg from the winner it must be noted. It was her second runner up finish at G3. King Kamada ran on well from the back as he always does but has not won for a while so may have lost that killer instinct. Storming The Tower ran on bravely after being sixth midfield and wide with the off wet track clearly helping his cause. Show The World ran on well late and the stablemate of the winner is near some form again. Delago’s Secret, which won this last year, got home late well too and he is near another win but needs a track that is not biased against his racing pattern. The rider of topweight Farm Boy clearly went too soon on his charge after sitting outside the leader then surging to a clear lead 600m out before being gobbled up at the 300m by the winner and then passed by six others inside the final 200m. Blizzard was okay as he came closer in the run home taking the slower lanes and is in good order at the moment. Surpass plugged closer down the outer late and the rest either one-batted the run home or stopped badly in the track conditions. Once again a false result due to the footing and track bias it created that got worse as the day wore on. This is only a future reference for another tricky wet track here or similar awkward footing at comparable venues.



FP Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 3. DECORAH (NZ) 6yo M
PINS (AUS) - NORDIC DANCER (NZ)
OPIE BOSSON
MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN
$6.9
57.5kg
M M S & S Allan, Dr A T & Mrs C M Jackson, Mrs B Larsen & W A Larsen Cnzm

Sales Information

2nd 16. ROSE OF VIRGINIA (NZ) 6yo M
THORN PARK (AUS) - CENTAPIN (NZ)
CAMERON LAMMAS
L NOBLE
$47.1
53kg
Macedon Park Pty Ltd (Manager: Mrs M A Sheldon), G S Sheldon & J G Sheldon

Sales Information

3rd 5. KING KAMADA (NZ) 6yo G
SHINKO KING (IRE) - MARSANNE (NZ)
KELLY MYERS
LISA LATTA
$7
56.5kg
K A Pratt, N McAlister

Sales Information

4th 15. STORMING THE TOWER (NZ) 7yo G
STORM CREEK (USA) - MIDNIGHT DIP (NZ)
CRAIG GRYLLS
JOHN BELL
$15.9
53kg

Sales Information

5th 8. SHOW THE WORLD (NZ) 5yo G
HIGH CHAPARRAL (IRE) - BAZELLE (NZ)
MATTHEW CAMERON
MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN
$10.3
56kg

Sales Information

6th 10. DELAGO'S SECRET (AUS) 5yo G
ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS) - DIVINE SECRET (AUS)
DARRYL BRADLEY
ROGER JAMES
$20.1
54.5kg

Sales Information

7th 1. FARM BOY (NZ) 5yo G
EL HERMANO (NZ) - LADY OF OAKVIEW (NZ)
VINNIE COLGAN
TIM & MARGARET CARTER
$6.5
60kg
8th 6. BLIZZARD (NZ) 5yo G
ANY SUGGESTION (AUS) - DEUNE (AUS)
MARK DU PLESSIS
EMMA-LEE & DAVID BROWNE
$21
56.5kg

Sales Information

9th 4. SURPASS (NZ) 7yo G
SAVABEEL (AUS) - SURPRISE (NZ)
MICHAEL COLEMAN
DANICA GUY
$18.6
57.5kg

Sales Information

10th 7. DEANE MARTIN (NZ) 6yo G
KEEPER (AUS) - ELA NIMUE (NZ)
MARK HILLS
B J WALLACE
$33.3
56.5kg

Sales Information

11th 17. JAGERSFONTEIN (NZ) 6yo M
VOLKSRAAD (GB) - DIAMANTAIRE (NZ)
SAMANTHA COLLETT
DENISE JEFFCOAT
$97.4
53kg

Sales Information

12th 11. MISTER IMPATIENCE (GB) 6yo G
HERNANDO (FR) - KATY NOWAITEE (GB)
SAM SPRATT
MICHAEL MORONEY & ANDREW CLARKEN
$13.1
54kg

Sales Information

13th 2. CELEBRITY MISS (NZ) 5yo M
CIVICS (AUS) - CLASSIC DAME (NZ)
TRUDY THORNTON
LEE SOMERVELL
$11
59kg
14th 13. EL SOLDADO (NZ) 9yo G
COLOMBIA (NZ) - ZO'AL (NZ)
CHRIS JOHNSON
PHILLIP DEVCICH
$60.1
54kg
15th 14. SALFORD ART (IRE) 7yo M
SIR PERCY (GB) - MILLAY (GB)
DANIELLE JOHNSON
TONY PIKE
$13.7
53kg

Sales Information

16th 9. THE TIDY EXPRESS (NZ) 7yo M
VOLKSRAAD (GB) - MIA LE FAY (NZ)
LEITH INNES
ROGER JAMES
$8.3
54.5kg

Sales Information

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