Atishu overcomes barrier scare to win in style
Smart Savabeel filly Atishu overcome a scare at the start at Riccarton to produce an impressive
display to add to her record.
The well-related Waikato-bred and sold filly broke her maiden at her previous start and trainer
Stephen Marsh’s decision to send her south was justified.
Atishu jumped skyward at the start and rider Kozzi Asano did well to stay in the saddle. They settled
toward the back of the field before unwinding powerfully in the straight to post what looked an
unlikely win at barrier rise.
The 3-year-old will chase further black type during her southern sojourn after finishing runner-up in
her last preparation in the Listed Wanganui Guineas.
Atishu was a $260,000 purchase for Albert Bosma’s Go Racing syndication company at New Zealand
Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.
She is a daughter of the No Excuse Needed mare Posy, who was successful twice, and she is a sister
to the multiple Group 1 winner Daffodil, dam of the recent G2 Sunline S. runner-up.
It is also the family of the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Aegon and Courier Wonder, a son of
Sacred Falls who is unbeaten in two appearances in Hong Kong.
Pure Alpha delivers again as Ardrossan continues to rise
Ardrossan gelding Pure Alpha led throughout to win by 1.29 lengths at Eagle Farm for owner Ozzie Kheir, taking his earnings past $300,000. The result caps a stellar run for sire Ardrossan, whose yearlings fetched up to $450,000 this year on strong Hong Kong form.
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It is difficult to maintain momentum when sitting in judgment of racing’s governance. After all, I get no pleasure in searching for non-credible decisions, but one is perpetually bewildered by the rationale behind many of the positions that make little sense.
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