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Quality Field for NZB Finance Sprint
Quality Field for NZB Finance Sprint
Friday, Apr 14, 2017
A high-class field of 14 speedsters will clash at Hastings on Saturday in a high-octane renewal of the $50,000 Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Finance Sprint (1200m).
One of the feature sprints of the autumn in New Zealand, the race has carried black-type status for the last three years. It was won by Whosyourmaster(NZ) (Captain Rio) in 2014 and 2015, and by Passing Shot (NZ) (Swiss Ace) in 2016.
Passing Shot has returned to defend his title in the 2017 edition of the race, in which he will be opposed by the stakes winners Taurus (NZ) (No Excuse Needed), Amarula (NZ) (Thorn Park), Underthemoonlight (NZ) (El Hermano), Reilly Lincoln (NZ) (Pins) and Rocanto (NZ) (Per Incanto), along with stakes placegetters Volks Lightning (NZ) (Volksraad), Smashing (NZ) (Pins), Snowdrop (NZ) (Pins) and Bonniegirl (NZ) (Darci Brahma).
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The NZB Finance Sprint will be run as Race 7 at Hastings on Saturday, with a start time of 4.00pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Taurus | 10 | The 60-kilogram topweight, Taurus (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) has had 58 starts for 10 wins, 20 placings and more than $280,000 in prize-money. He scored his first stakes win in last year's Listed Ag Challenge Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui, and he has placed in another nine stakes races. He will try to add to an outstanding sprinting season for Evan and JJ Rayner, who also train the dual Group 1 winner Start Wondering (NZ) (Eighth Wonder). | Evan & JJ Rayner | Johnathan Parkes |
| 2 | Amarula | 12 | Winner of the Group 2 Hawke's Bay Guineas (1400m) at this track in 2015, Amarula (NZ) (Thorn Park) has recorded six wins and six placings in his 19-start career and earned more than $186,000 in stakes. He was recently gelded. Shaun McKay takes the mount for his parents, Peter and Kim, who own the four-year-old. | Peter McKay | Shaun McKay |
| 3 | Shadow Fox | Scratched | |||
| 4 | Underthemoonlight | 9 | Trained by Karyn McQuade, who bred and owns her in partnership with her husband Hamish, Underthemoonlight (NZ) (El Hermano) emerged as a high-quality racemare with an outstanding run of performances last winter and spring. She won four races, including a six-length demolition in the Group 3 Taranaki Breeders' Stakes (1400m), and placed in another six including a second in the Group 3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m). She also finished a close and unlucky fourth in the Group 2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m). She won a trial recently. | Karyn McQuade | Michael Coleman |
| 5 | Reilly Lincoln | 8 | Reilly Lincoln (NZ) (Pins) was a Group 3 winner of the Stewards' Stakes (1200m) in November, then went on to run third in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1200m) and fourth in the Group 1 Telegraph (1200m). | Lisa Latta | Darryl Bradley |
| 6 | Passing Shot | 1 | Swiss Ace gelding Passing Shot (NZ) is the winner of three stakes races, including last year's running of this event. He hasn't won in 10 starts since then, although he was an encouraging last-start second over this distancce at Ellerslie. | Stephen McKee | Alysha Collett |
| 7 | Volks Lightning | 6 | Classy mare Volks Lightning (NZ) (Volksraad) has recorded three placings at black-type level, including last month's Group 3 Darley Plate (1200m) at Ellerslie. Also the winner of four races, she was a last-start fifth in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) at Trentham after losing a shoe. | Graeme & Debbie Rogerson | Leith Innes |
| 8 | Smashing | 11 | By Pins out of the multiple Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Ruud Van Slaats, Smashing (NZ) has won six races and has placed twice at Listed level. In her most recent start she ran third in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) at Trentham. Both her trainers (Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards) and jockey (Danielle Johnson) currently lead the New Zealand premierships. | Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards | Danielle Johnson |
| 9 | Snowdrop | 7 | A daughter of the multiple Group 1 winner Daffodil, Snowdrop (NZ) (Pins) has won six of her 16 starts and has twice placed at stakes level. Five of her wins have come over this distance. | Tony Pike | Vinnie Colgan |
| 10 | Bonniegirl | 14 | Third in this race last year, Bonniegirl (NZ) (Darci Brahma) represents in the in-form stable of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman. She has won five of her 15 starts, including a five-length victory over this distance at New Plymouth in September. She is coming into this race fresh, and she has won four races in that state. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Matthew Cameron |
| 11 | Rocanto | 3 | A stakes winner and Group 1-placed as a two-year-old, Rocanto (NZ) (Per Incanto) has shown glimpses of that form again in his four-year-old season with a win and a close second placing among his six starts. | Stephen Marsh | |
| 12 | La Fille En Jeu | 5 | To be ridden by in-form jockey Lisa Allpress, La Fille En Jeu (NZ) (Mettre En Jeu) has won seven races including a smart win over this distance at Otaki two starts back. She was eighth in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) last time out, but was trapped wide throughout the race. | Nigel Auret | Lisa Allpress |
| 13 | Xcuses Xcuses | 2 | Locally trained Xcuses Xcuses (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) has won four races, including a fast-finishing victory over this distance at Awapuni in her most recent start. | John Bary | Samantha Collett |
| 14 | Thien Ly | 4 | To be ridden by jockey Robert Hannam, who rode his 1000th New Zealand winner last weekend, Thien Ly(NZ) (Stravinsky) was a last-start fourth in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m). He has previously won at the track. | Jeff Lynds | Robert Hannam |
| 15 | Ruby Armani | 15 | Makfi mare Ruby Armani (NZ) has won two of her 12 starts, but has competed admirably up to Group 2 level with a close fifth placing in the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1400m). She was a last-start third over this distance at Avondale behind stakes performers Mystery Show and Spindle. | Michael Moroney & Pam Gerard | Mark Du Plessis |
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