Aistema Railway (Group 1)

SOUTH African-born jockey Warren Kennedy has won seven of the nine races at one of New Zealand’s biggest race days.

Having won the first at Pukekohe on New Year’s Day, Kennedy was unstoppable winning the Group 1 Railway and all three Group 2 races, to break the previous record of six winners in a day held by Lance O’Sullivan.

Completing the feat with four different trainers, Kennedy combined with O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott for a treble that took in the day’s feature aboard Waitak.

Durban-born Kennedy, 43, settled in New Zealand with his family only 15 months ago as a seven-time Group 1 winner and two-time South African jockeys’ premiership winner.

Fast forward and Kennedy is leading the New Zealand Jockeys’ Premiership on 71 winners ahead of Michael McNab’s 63.

“It’s been a fantastic day. I don’t think anyone could have asked for any better. Everything has gone my way,” said Kennedy. “We’re all here to compete and everyone is congratulating (me), they know it’s a great feat to win seven in a day.”

Waitak’s Railway

Near last at the 200 metres, the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Waitak looked as though he’d run a good place at best having been at the tail for the bulk of the Group 1 Railway over 1,200 metres at Pukekohe.

Instead, the Proisir gelding found wings under Warren Kennedy slicing through the middle of the field to charge away and win by a length and a half to defeat the Super Easy mare Bonny Lass and the Burgundy gelding Mercurial,

“Everyone, myself included, believed the six furlongs with these type of sprinters in the race, they might run a bit too quick for him,” said Kennedy.

“They split open like the Red Sea in front of me and when I really asked him to run, he knuckled down and sprinted home. He ran past them like they weren’t there.”

The win was a first Railway for trainer Lance O’Sullivan who won the race five times as a jockey.

“Out of all the races that I personally wanted to be a part of winning as a trainer, it was certainly the Railway, and it has eluded me. This is Andrew’s third,” said O’Sullivan, one of New Zealand’s all-time greats in the saddle.

Last season Waitak’s sire Proisir, by Choisir, usurped the son of Zabeel, Savabeel as New Zealand’s leading sire following an eight-year reign, and with the first Group 1 of the New Year squared away the pair are neck and neck again.

Waitak is the sixth individual Group 1 winner for Proisir whose 2023 fee at Rich Hill Stud surged to NZ$70,000.

WARREN Kennedy completed his historic seventh win in the second last on Pukekohe’s New Year’s Day card, the Group 2 Rich Hill Stud Mile.

Riding the Australian-bred Zoustar gelding Habana for trainer Lance Noble, Kennedy had to draw every drop from his mount as he swung the final bend at the tail, spotting the leaders eight lengths.

The Swedish-born jockey Ulrika Holmquist must have been visualising a maiden group win aboard Saint Bathans, with the pair a length clear with 50 metres to run. Hard ridden to the line, the Maurice gelding Saint Bathans was caught in the last stride, handing up a short-half-head margin to Habana.

Completing the international jockey’s podium was Irishman Joe Doyle who was third on the Shocking gelding El Vencedor.

“That was absolutely fantastic and especially for Cambridge Stud as they are huge supporters of mine,” said Kennedy. “Everything has come together and I actually thought I had got beaten, so luck was definitely on my side.”

Habana races in the Cambridge Stud black and gold cheques of owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay who claimed a double for the day.

In a touch of synchronicity, they also took out the inaugural Group 2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes with the American Pharoah filly About Time. “He (Brendan) mentioned it beforehand, of how fantastic it would be if he could win this race named after Sir Patrick, and he will get a huge thrill out of that,” said trainer Lance Noble.

The win was all the more meritorious as About Time had run a five-length sixth to Molly Bloom in the Eight Carat Classic six days earlier.

Cambridge Stud Zabeel

Classic (Group 1)

NEW Zealand’s Christmas racing carnival was headlined on St Stephen’s Day by the Group 1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic at weight-for-age over 2,050 metres.

The Contributer mare Campionessa was sent out a $3 favourite and didn’t disappoint. Box-seated by Opie Bosson, Campionessa rolled off the leader’s heels, as Mazzolino tried to hold her in the pocket. Once clear, Bosson got Campionessa into gear as she swept to the lead. Challenged late by No Compromise, the Pins gelding looked as though he would run away with the win, but Campionessa refused to yield.

Drew away

Energised by the competition, she drew away again to win by a long-neck as the Dundeel mare Aquacade ran well for third.

“She deserved that,” said co-trainer Mark Walker. “She has had a couple of seconds in Group 1s. She dug deep to win, which was great. It was great for the ownership group as well, not one of them moaned when we pulled stumps in the spring when things weren’t going right. They supported us and got the rewards today. It was brilliant for the mare and Contributer is a very underrated stallion.”

Racing in the colours of Te Akau for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (February 10th) and Bonecrusher Stakes (March 9th) are likely options with Campionessa runner-up in both last year.

“We will let the dust settle after this, but she is nominated for all of those big races through the summer again. Now she has got a Group 1 on her CV, we probably need to look at something in Australia as well,” added Walker.

Campionessa is the second individual Group 1 winner for Contributer who stands at Mapperley Stud in Matamata for NZ$18,000.

A LAST start winner of the New Zealand 1000 Guineas in November, Molly Bloom has kept herself in the winner’s frame, taking out the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic for fillies over 1,600 metres at Pukekohe on St Stephen’s Day.

Ridden by Melbourne jockey Blake Shinn for trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, the Ace High filly steamed home to overhaul the Almanzor filly Mary Shan by a head.

The pair were four-lengths clear of the rest, headed by the winner’s stablemate Grail Seeker, by Iffraaj, ridden by Joe Doyle, who had ridden Molly Bloom to her 1000 Guineas win in November. “She had to guts it out and we couldn’t be more proud of her,” said Andrew Scott. “She is a beautiful type with length and strength and we had Blake on today to tell us where we might go with her. I would imagine we will be heading towards the Karaka Million Mile now and then we will take stock after that.”

DYLAN Browne McMonagle finished his Australian stint on a winning note on Monday, steering the aptly named Dublin Journal to victory at Flemington.

Browne McMonagle has been based in Victoria since late November and has ridden 11 winners in that time, his first just coming on December 14th.

While the 20-year-old has been attached to the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable during his Aussie sojourn, he has also ridden winners for the Hayes brothers and Mike Moroney.

“It’s been very, very good,” Browne McMonagle said. “From the second I got here, I’ve been made very welcome, enjoyed every minute of it, had plenty of success and that definitely helps. I’ve been part of a great team in Ciaron and David’s, they provided plenty of horses to ride and everyone’s been a big help.”