South Auckland mare With Grace secured her berth in next month’s Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton when extending her winning sequence to four with victory in the Baker Tilly Staples Rodway 2100 at Te Rapa on Labour Day Monday.
From her outside draw in the seven-horse field, With Grace was taken straight to the back by jockey George Rooke, who was happy to stalk his rivals for most of the journey. Turning for home, Rooke presented his charge out wide and she showed a good turn of foot to run over the top of her rivals to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Keeper’s Heart, with a further three quarters of a length back to race favourite French Thinker in third.
Trainer Kylie Hoskin admitted to being slightly anxious during the running, with her charge out the back of the pack, but she was relieved to see her storm home late to score a comfortable victory.
“I was starting to sweat a bit, I thought George was being pretty patient back there,” Hoskin said. “She has shown that she has got a great turn of foot on a Good track and she caught them up.
“Her sectionals home are so good and she is very tractable.”
The daughter of Ocean Park has been faultless this season, carrying New Zealand syndicator Go Racing’s colours to victory in all four of her starts, and Hoskin is hoping she can continue her golden run in the New Zealand Cup.
“She had a nice blow at Ellerslie in her gallop last weekend, so she will definitely improve from this because it has been a bit of a break,” Hoskin said. “She will be spot on for the New Zealand Cup.”
Following Monday’s win, With Grace has shortened into a $6 joint favourite for the New Zealand Cup, alongside Rosso and Tajanis, the latter another Go Racing representative who has recently arrived at Hoskin’s Byerley Park stable.
The Charlotte Littlefield-trained gelding is no stranger to New Zealand, having finished runner-up in the last year’s Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) when trained by Chris Waller.
“I have got Tajanis in the stable as well and I will be taking the two of them down to Riccarton for the New Zealand Cup,” Hoskin said. “He is over here from Aussie and is another Go Racing horse trained by Charlotte Littlefield. We will have a nice pair to take down there and duel it out.”