Spring Tides success down south on Friday afternoon and Armada's slashing return to racing in Hong Kong on Sunday night top and tailed quite some weekend for Towkay.
Sandwiched in between were the wins of Tycoon (Towkay-Clermont Lass) and Madam Butterfly (Towkay-Golden Butterfly) at Hastings on Saturday, Analytic (Towkay-Kentucky Lass) at Te Rapa and Cash Money (Towkay-Also) in Hong Kong.
Hawkes Bay's Sue Harty bred and owns both Spring Tide (Towkay-Perfect Sunrise) and Madam Butterfly.
Resuming over the unsuitable distance of 1200m, Armada (Towkay-Dance in Time) showed that he'd come back just as good as ever when after being tailed off three lengths last into the home straight, he rattled home for a close fifth in the Cathay Pacific International Sprint Trial.
A winner twice last season in Hong Kong, the Lambourn Stud bred Cash Money showed the benefit of two runs in a new campaign, prevailing in a tight finish over 1400m.
LA's one lot at last week's Ready to Run Sale, the Pins-Trigon Lass colt prepared by Dean Hawthorns Anzac Lodge sold for $180,000 to John Foote Bloodstock and is destined for John Size's stable in Hong Kong.
Towkay's sole entry at the sale, the colt from Tarr'n'Gold who was a $35,000 purchase from our draft at the Select Sale back in January, went for the $60,000 bid of New Zealand Bloodstock for Hong Kong trainer Manfred Mann.
Each season we find ourselves buying a share or racing the odd yearling and they join a few who haven't managed to make the sale due to injuries during the sales preparation. Largely they are leased out or we race some ourselves, particularly the colts. What a past fortnight it's been for those horses, six to the races for five winners and a second. Tsonga, City Newton, Can't Keeper Down, Keano, Down The Road and Yee Ha.
The win of Can't Keeper Down (Keeper-Ashley Downs) at Hawera last Wednesday was especially pleasing given the ease of the victory over 1600m. She spells now before a campaign aimed at the New Zealand Oaks in March. From the current ‘hot' family of Rios, Black Mamba and co, the filly races on lease from Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta's stable. LA have a very nice O'Reilly yearling half brother in this summers Karaka Select Sale.
