Category Archives: Captain Rio

12-length winner highlights Captain Rio double

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Westbury Stud resident Captain Rio (Pivotal – Beloved Visitor, by Miswaki) has sired 16 individual Stakes winners but looks to have a contender for further success after the win of his son Heat Blast (Captain Rio – Regal Ash, by Green Desert) at Wednesday’s Te Rapa meeting.

Heat Blast finished second to smart New Zealander Burgundy (Redoute’s Choice – Grand Echezeaux, by Zabeel) on debut in September last year.

The three-year-old showed he has made terrific improvement in while spelling with a 12-1/2 length win first-up in the Jimmy Choux @ Rich Hill Maiden Plate (1200m). Heat Blast found the front easily before racing away from his opposition under gentle pressure from jockey Michael Coleman in the straight to record his extremely impressive win.

Paul Moroney Bloodstock paid $NZ47,5000 for Heat Blast out of the Raffles Farm draft at the 2010 NZB Select Sale. The three-year-old is a half-brother to the Group 2 winner Captain Fantastic (Fantastic Light – Regal Ash, by Green Desert), who is another Paul Moroney yearling buy.

Captain Fantastic fetched $NZ92,500 at the 2007 NZB Premier Yearling Sale. Interestingly, Regal Ash sold for just $NZ2400 at the 2011 NZB National Broodmare Sale.

Captain Rio enjoyed further success at Te Rapa when his two-year-old daughter Comical Lass (Captain Rio – Cackles, by Catbird) posted a comfortable 2-3/4 length win in the  Brighthill’s New Stallion Maiden (1200m).

Foote Investments paid $NZ58,000 for the filly at the 2011 NZB Select Yearling Sale.

Pivotal mare wins Pretty Polly Stakes

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Cheveley Park Stud stallions provided the quinella in Sunday’s Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes (1-1/4m) when Izzi Top (Pivotal – Zee Zee Top, by Zafonic) defeated Sapphire (Medicean – Polished Gem, by Danehill).

Scratchings left a field of four in the event. The daughter of Pivotal (Polar Falcon – Fearless Revival, by Cozzene) sat behind Medicean’s (Machiavellian – Mystic Goddess, by Storm Bird) representative before outstaying her late in testing conditions.

Izzi Top joined her dam Zee Zee Top (Zafonic – Colorspin, by High Top) as a Group 1 winner, adding to the family of champions Opera House and Kayf Tara (both Sadler’s Wells – Colorspin, by High Top).

“She was very progressive last year and put up very good performances at Newmarket and York, so I always thought she was a Group 1 filly,” jockey William Buick told TDN.

“The ground was not ideal for her, but she won nicely.”

The victory was Izzi Top’s fourth at Stakes level. The mare is one of 96 individual Stakes winners for Pivotal, a tally which also includes stallions Excellent Art (Pivotal – Obsessive, by Seeking The Gold), Kyllachy (Pivotal – Pretty Poppy, by Song) and Captain Rio (Pivotal – Beloved Visitor, by Miswaki).

 

 

Commands filly wins G3 Keith Nolan Classic

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Darley home-bred Appearance (Commands – Disguise, by Grand Lodge) has become the 45th individual Stakes winner for Commands (Danehill – Cotehele House, by My Swanee) with her success in Sunday’s Group 3 Keith Nolan Classic (1600m) at Kembla Grange.

The 2012 edition of the Keith Nolan Classic was the first running of the race at Group 3 level. The newly-promoted event attracted nine three-year-olds, including the $3.50 favourite, the Peter Moody-trained Chateau Margaux (Redoute’s Choice – Kylikwong, by Red Ransom).

Appearance overcame a dawdling tempo set by the eventual runner-up She Goes To Rio (Captain Rio – Nelly’s Gold, by Made Of Gold) to drive through on the rail and score by a neck.

“It has been a great race for me,” Walter told Sky Racing World.

“It was terrific to win with a Darley filly because they have been so loyal to me over the years. I haven’t had a lot of success but I did win this race once before for them.

“This is a lovely filly and I think she did a great job because Peter (Robl) slowed them up in front and she had to come from back a bit.”

Appearance could progress to the Group 1 ATC Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick next month but Walter said he would consult Darley before setting a course for Appearance.

Guineas Goes To Rio

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She Goes To Rio (3 f Captain Rio – Nelly’s Gold, by Made Of Gold) took the shortest route to victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Listed Affinity Construction Management Canberra Guineas (1400m) at Canberra‚Äôs Thoroughbred Park on Sunday.

She Goes To Rio raced behind the leader Our Brightest Star to the home turn where she pushing through between horses, sprinting quickly once in the clear to go on and defeat the Darley-duo, of Detours (Ad Valorem) and Aberrant (Strategic).

Trainer Anthony Cummings said he can’t wait to get She Goes To Rio ¬†out to 1600 metres and further, confirming that her next start will be ¬†the Gr 3 Keith Nolan Classic over 1600 metres at Kembla on March 25.

“We‚Äôve got the choice of a few races but the Keith Nolan is most likely,‚Äù he said.”You‚Äôve got the Phar Lap [Stakes ‚Äì 1500 metres] and the Coolmore [Classic ‚Äì 1500 metres] on the preceding Saturday so we‚Äôll have a look at all of that but I think the Keith Nolan is the most likely race for her.‚Äù

“Anthony‚Äôs got this filly going terrific and she‚Äôs a very, very good filly,‚Äù Robl said.¬†”We drew favourably, she put herself where she needed to be and we just had to wait for a run.Half a run came and she‚Äôs that genuine she drove her way through the run and was too good for them.‚Äù

She Goes To Rio has won four of her five starts and the Canberra Guineas is her first black type success and the 15th for her sire Captain Rio, a son of leading European sire Pivotal.

Faltaat fires with Friday treble

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Westbury Stud’s champion stallion Faltaat (Mr Prospector – Epitome, by Summing) had his best result for the season to date when he produced a winning treble on Friday.

Faltaat was the leading New Zealand Sire on the AEI in 2001/02 and 2002/03 but has struggled to date during the 2011/12 term with just seven victories prior to his triple success.

All of Faltaat’s three wins came in his homeland. Oriental Lad (Faltaat – Bangkok Babe, by Centro) won the R J Eagars Furnishers Handicap (1200m) at Pukekura Raceway while the sire recorded a double at the Winton meeting.

Jean Genie (Faltaat – Dungaree Doll, by Carnegie) strode to a comprehensive success in the Geoff Jukes Maiden (1200m) before Ahreco (Faltaat – Just A Chat, by Centaine) bolted in to win the Wrightson Maiden (1600m).

Noble Reason (Captain Rio – Storm Brose, by Gold Brose) made it four wins for Westbury Stud sires with his 5-1/2 length success in the Ryal Blush Transport Handicap (1200m), also at Winton.

Meanwhile, Cambridge Stud stalwart Zabeel (Sir Tristram – Lady Giselle, by Nureyev) posted a double of his own on the other side of the Tasman Sea with winners at Cranbourne and Goulburn.

The $200,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase Urban Explorer (Zabeel – Amatista, by Scenic) won the TAB Sportsbet Handicap (2060m) at Cranbourne while master trainer Bart Cummings produced Kim Warrior (Zabeel – Sequi, by Danehill) to win the Terminus Hotel Handicap (2300m).

Captain Rio gets first 2YO winner of the season in NZ

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Westbury Stud stallion Captain Rio (Pivotal – Beloved Visitor, by Miswaki) provided the first Australasian two-year-old winner for the season when Reais (Captain Rio – Heather Mac) proved too speedy for her rivals at Wanganui.

Reais won the 92.8FM Handicap over 800 metres at Wanganui by two lengths over another filly, Hollywood Angel (Dehere – Whiffle, by Red Ransom) with Killa Question (Any Suggestion – Killa Loox, by City On A Hill) a nose away in third spot.

Meanwhile, the Graeme and Debbie Rogerson-trained three-year-old filly Dowager Queen (Savabeel – Dower, by Pins) earned her third stakes success with a narrow win in the Listed Fordell O’Leary’s Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui.

Dowager Queen’s win provided the highlight of a quartet of winners for Waikato Stud stallions. The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained Nomatamata (Savabeel – Pesce, by West Point) completed a double for Savabeel (Zabeel – Savannah Express, by Success Express) with his win in the Vicon Handicap (1980m) at Tatura.

A double to Pins (Snippets – No Finer, by Kaoru Star) rounded out Waikato Stud’s quadruple success. The Chris Waller-trained Thumbtacks (Pins – Anza Belle, by Centaine) produced a tough performance to win the Royal Randwick on Twitter Handicap (1600m) before Sharp Princess (Pins – She’s Snubbed, by O’Reilly) claimed the Wanganui Chronicle Handicap (1200m) at Wanganui.