Last year’s Group 3 Winter Cup victor Karla Bruni (Pins – Cantante by Centaine) pictured left, looks right on target for another successful attempt at N.Z’s feature winter flat handicap judging by her strong win in the Tui Backing A Winner Since 1889 Handicap at Trentham on Saturday.
Karla Bruni’s form certainly lines-up nicely for a notable Riccarton repeat. She ran second in the corresponding Trentham race last season to Liv n Paradise, who finished in third position on Saturday. Using the race a year apart as a yardstick; both horses were in similar form and at similar stages of their preparations; the track ratings were identical; Liv n Paradise met the Pins mare half a kilo better off at the weights this year, and the margin between both horses swung by almost four lengths in Karla Brunei’s favour.
Bred by our long-time client Lorraine Jameson, the 6YO mare is leased to a syndicate comprising her trainer Roydon Bergerson, leading jockey Opie Bosson, C Sheridan and D Humphries.
Further north on Saturday and one of more impressive performances on the Te Rapa card came from the LA and John Gimblett bred Irish Moon (O’Reilly – Moonstrummer by Stravinsky).
Don’t be tricked into thinking that just because the horse is winning in June, he’s strictly a winter galloper. The Ken Kelso trained galloper, who was narrowly beaten over 1200m in a sub 1.10 race last year has been patiently handled with Saturday’s win, his second, coming at just career start number five.
An added touch of satisfaction from Irish Moon’s success was that his owners John Gilbert and his family are great clients of the farm. Irish Moon appeals as a perfect supporting act for the Gilbert family and friends when they again target the Hawkes Bay Spring Carnival with their LA bred dual group 1 winning mare Xanadu (Elusive City-Forest Dream by Forest Glow).
