In-form Frankly chasing stakes start

7 August 2014

John Bary was left to rue a missed black type opportunity with Frankly at New Plymouth and now he’s looking forward to another chance at Awapuni. The Hastings trainer had expected the Pins mare to be competitive in a recent Listed feature sponsored by WS.

“I was very confident for the Opunake Cup, but she couldn’t get off the ballot,” he said. “I was very bullish that week and we had to regroup. I think she’ll be better over a mile or 2000 metres so we’ll have a look at the Merial Metric Mile with her.”

Bred and raced by WS, Frankly again showed she was ready for the challenge of better company when she scored an impressive win at Hastings this afternoon in the hands of Miranda Dravitzki. “She just bided her time and then came out – that was a 10 out of 10 ride,” Bary said.

Frankly has now fashioned the tidy record of four wins and nine placings from 15 appearances to further a strong family record. Out of the O’Reilly mare O’Really, she is a half-sister to six winners including Keano (Listed Lightning Handicap).

Ardrossan’s Group 1-placed darling wins A$300,000 Gr.2 HKJC World Pool Wakeful Stakes

Second and fourth in 1600m Group 1 races in her two previous starts since being purchased privately by OTI Racing and stepping out in Australia under Chris Waller’s racing banner, De Armas (Ardrossan) stepped up in distance at Flemington on Saturday and opened her Australian account in style in the A$300,000 Gr.2 HKJC World Pool Wakeful Stakes (2000m) on Derby Day.

30 October 2026

The Corner with Garry Chittick

The writing of my Corner started many years ago, motivated by an irritation that I felt needed scratching. It was never my intention to make my commentary regular; neither did I intend to reinvent the direction of racing administration. It is both disappointing and ironical that what should be a simple, straightforward business provides a regular need for comment.