Ardrossan 3YO fires winning shot
A well-related son of Ardrossan has wasted no time in adding winning momentum to his three-year-old preparation.
The Tony Pike-trained Cannon Hill, who had placed in his lead-up trial, showed plenty of heart at Matamata on Wednesday afternoon to score over 1200 metres.
He broke quickly to make the running under jockey Sam Spratt and they repelled all challenges in the run home to open his account.
Cannon Hill finished fourth on debut last term at Te Rapa behind subsequent stakes winner Viva Vienna and then ran fifth after a torrid run at Hastings before he was given a break.
He was bred by Waikato Stud who remained in the ownership after Pike secured the colt out of the Matamata nursery’s draft at Karaka for $150,000.
Cannon Hill is the first foal of the unraced Pins mare Vanilla Essence and she is a sister to the Lion Red Plate winner Raid, dam of the dual black type winner Night Raid, from the family of Stratum Star, who claimed a brace of Australia Group One titles.
A brother to Cannon Hill was offered on behalf of Waikato Stud by Sledmere Stud at this year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale where he was purchased by Group 1 Bloodstock for A$260,000 and Vanilla Ice will foal this season to Savabeel.
Hutchings confirmed for NZB Kiwi on Sought After
Australian-based, Kiwi-born jockey Rory Hutchings will ride Waikato Stud’s Sought After (Tivaci ex Popular), trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, in the southern hemisphere’s richest race at Ellerslie on 8 March. A last-start winner, Sought After is a Matamata nursery product with a pedigree tied to Sacred Falls.
Read MoreSuper Seth 3YO strikes again in Hong Kong
Patch Of Cosmo (ex Thee) continues to showcase Super Seth’s potential in Hong Kong. Bred and sold by Waikato Stud, the three-year-old has claimed three victories under trainer Manfred Man, including a recent 1400m Class 3 win at Sha Tin. His pedigree traces back to stakes-winning Savabeel mare Thee.
Read More