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29th April 2009 - Vol 42

More Joy for the ‘Captain'

Mach Three's brilliant son Captain Joy notched his third Derby success and extended his winning skein to nine when he took the $100,000 Group 1 NSW Derby at Menangle on April 21.

After starting from the extreme outside barrier, the gelding was forced to work overtime in the early part before spearing to the front at the 1500m mark. He was never afterwards headed.

With Gavin Lang able to give him a ‘breather' in the middle stages, the ‘Captain' zipped home in 56.1 seconds with the final quarter in a sizzling 26.5 to keep his nine classy rivals at bay.

The mile rate for the 2300m mobile was 1:58.2.

Unbeaten in eight attempts this season, Captain Joy numbers the Victoria and Queensland Derbys and the NSW 3YO Championship among his list of successes.

He has lifetime earnings of $587,188.

Winning driver Gavin Lang said the race went according to plan and he believes there are more feature wins in store for Captain Joy.

"He rates as the best horse I've ever driven," Lang said.

Captain Joy will now have a let-up before being aimed at the Group 1 NSW Breeders Challenge with a $125,000 Final at Menangle on June 28. He will defend his Breeders Crown title at the new Melton track in July.

Captain Joy

‘Courage' trio on fire

Itsallabout Nicole, Trusty Courage and Eyecatcher Courage, a trio of Courage Under Fire sired performers, won feature races in Western Australia, New South Wales and New Zealand respectively during the past fortnight.

A two-year-old gelding, Itsallabout Nicole blew away his rivals with a bold front-running display in the $20,000 Western Crown Classic at Gloucester Park on April 24. It was his second win from five starts and he appears every bit as good as keen Sandgroper trotgoers  rate him.

The winning rate of 1:59.7 was a new lifetime mark.

Trusty Courage, a five-year-old gelding, made a clean sweep of the time-honoured NSW Carousel Series at Menangle. Coming from last on the home turn in the $25,000 Final, the gelding unleashed an amazing 55.6 seconds last half to claim victory in the last few strides.

The Carousel has been the stepping stone for many fine careers and Trusty Courage looks capable of matching the deeds of previous winners.

The four-year-old Eyecatcher Courage scored her second win at Group level when she downed a star-studded line-up in the $30,000 Group 3 North Island Breeders Stakes at Auckland.

After settling midfield in the running line, driver James Stormont sooled his charge to front with 1300m to go and from thereon was never seriously challenged. She had a length to spare on the line.

Safin, a Riverboat King mare, who led early, finished third.

As a three-year-old Eyecatcher Courage won the $138,000 Group 2 NZ Sires Stakes Fillies' Championship at Auckland.

She has bankrolled $186,223 from seven wins and eight placings.

Eyecatcher Courage

The champ is back

New Zealand's pin-up pacer Auckland Reactor, back from a failed Inter Dominion campaign, put his best foot forward in the $100,000 Group 1 Taylor Mile at Auckland on April 24.

Starting from the No. 5 gate, the Mach Three entire settled midfield as The Cavalier took the early lead from the mobile dispatch. Soon after Blair Orange sent the champ forward three-wide to surge to the front as the field passed the winning post for the first time.

The race was a procession from hereon.

With Orange sitting quietly the four-year-old was unextended over the latter stages to win by one-and-a-half lengths in a stunning 1:55.2 with the last 400 in 27.7 seconds. Pembrook Benny (by Courage Under Fire) was a handy third.

It was the fastest time for the Taylor Mile since it became 1700 metres in 2007.

Auckland Reactor has now won an incredible 12 Group races and has earned stakes totalling $1,207,984 for his owners. Next on the agenda for the winner of 22 races from 25 starts, is the $200,000 Group 1 NZ Messenger this Friday (May 1) also at Alexandra Park.

Meanwhile, the tough Mach Three four-year-old Mysta Magical Mach became the season's second highest stakes-winning pacer with consecutive wins at Gloucester Park in April.

The gelding has earned just $710 shy of $500,000 since having his first start on Australian soil last November. He has notched 13 wins and eight placings from 26 starts highlighted by successes in the WA Pacing Cup, Bunbury Cup and Lord Mayor's Cup.   Only Inter Dominion champion Mr Feelgood ($829,825) is ahead of him on the earnings list.       

Ruby dazzles in Empress

The Pacific Fella mare Ruby Dazzler, who was having her first start for 10 weeks, made a triumphant return to the winner's circle in the Group 2 WA Empress Stakes at Gloucester Park.

After receiving a saloon passage on the back of the pacemaking Nowuseeme, Ruby Dazzler, once extricated into the open 100 metres from the line, accelerated brilliantly to collect the thick end of the $50,000 prize.

The win hiked her earnings to $286,637 from 14 wins and three placings in 25 starts.

Out of a Chandon mare, Ruby Dazzler has been a Group winner every year she has raced. She annexed the $100,000 WA Diamond Classic as a two-year-old and the $150,000 WA Oaks at three.

On the subject of Oaks, the Pacific Fella sired Ima Spicey Lombo survived a poor getaway and a torrid passage to claim a heat of the Victoria Oaks, but could only manage fourth in the Final from the extreme draw.

Another Pacific Fella mare, Pacific Charm, sent her earnings past the $100,000 mark with consecutive wins in the Easter Cup at Echuca and Moonee Valley on Anzac Day.

'New' winner for Riverboat

Im Streetwise, a NZ bred three-year-old, became Riverboat King's latest winner when he scored at his debut on Australian soil at Bankstown on April 27. The geling is out of a Soky's Atom mare.

Itz Cherry Ripe in 1:52

The five-year-old Itz Cherry Ripe, a Group 3 winner in New Zealand, became Courage Under Fire's fastest female performer when she sped around the Harrah's Chester five furlongs oval in 1:52 on Tuesday (April 27). She won on the same track in 1:54.2 a fortnight earlier.

Itz Cherry Ripe took a record of 1:58.7 in her homeland, winning nine races and $156,000

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