By Heather Anderson
Fourth-choice on the board at 19-2 Saturday, Thee Auld Floozie (NZ) delivered the goods in sit-and-pounce fashion in the NZ$200,000 G1 Thorndon Mile H. for an ownership group involving her breeders, John and Sue Young, Saturday. It was the first top-flight victory for the 5-year-old, and pilot Rosie Myers's tactics paid off.
“She travelled beautifully throughout, but I was in two minds on the turn whether to go in or out on her,” Myers told www.nzracing.co.nz. “We came off the fence and I was able to get a good run in between them and she just took off. It was then I remembered two weeks ago Stephen [Marsh] had said to me, 'Whatever you do, don't go to the front too soon.' I was thinking oh no, but she did it really well in the end.”
The grey proved a challenge for the gate crew, but eventually acquiesced and took her place in stall one, before breaking forwardly and securing a good rail position as The Justice League (NZ) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) led with Shadow Fox (NZ) (Keeninsky {NZ}) breathing down his neck and Authentic Paddy (NZ) (Howbaddouwantit) just to their outside. Drifting back a bit as the leaders tackled the home turn, Myers was sitting on go, and when she found a seam one off the fence nearing the 300-metre mark, she gave Thee Auld Floozie her cue. Inhaling front-marker Shadow Fox in a matter of strides, the mare surged to a clear-cut advantage, with only the rapidly closing 75-1 longshot Prince of Passion (NZ) showing enough late dash to whittle the winning margin down to 1 1/2 lengths. Abidewithme (NZ) rallied to take third, relegating Volkstok'n'barrell (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) to a fourth-place finish. The 3-1 market leader, Stolen Dance (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}), found herself too far back in the early stages, finishing ninth.
“We've got a lot of owners here who have come from far and wide,” trainer Stephen Marsh, who fielded four runners in the Thorndon–Serious Satire (Aus) (More Than Ready) (fifth), Seize the Moment (NZ) (Pins {Aus}) (11th) and Ruud Not Too (NZ) (Bernardini) (13th), commented to www.nzracing.co.nz. “We had four runners who I all thought deserved their chance and I'm just rapt one of them got the win. She's been rock solid and even her last campaign she was the same. She's just coming right as she's a high-class mare. Her only fault was in the [G2] Coupland's Mile [at Riccarton Park Nov. 9] where the track was just too firm for her.”
Marsh, who had landed the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas with Ugo Foscolo (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}) in November, continued, “She really deserved her Group 1. It's great for John and Sue Young who have been great supporters of mine since back in our Woodville days. They bred her, so I'm just so pleased for them.”
A winner of the G3 Sunline Vase going 2100 metres in March of 2015, Thee Auld Floozie's best showing as a 4-year-old was a second in the 2000-metre G3 Manawatu Breeders' S. at Awapuni this past April. Victorious in heavy going in a 1400-metre handicap second up this preparation at Arawa Park Oct. 15, Thee Auld Floozie made it two on the bounce, taking out another handicap, this time at Te Rapa, Oct. 24. Fifth in the G2 Couplan's Mile Nov. 9, she added the Listed J Swap Contractors Sprint at Te Rapa Dec. 10, before finding only stablemate Seize the Moment too good in the course and distance G3 Anniversary S. last out Jan. 14.
Pedigree Notes…
By European champion juvenile colt Mastercraftsman (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Thee Auld Floozie is the Coolmore shuttler's fifth Group 1 winner. The third and best foal from her MSW dam, Thee Auld Floozie is among four winners from four to race out of Thee Auld Hussie, who has a Pour Moi (Ire) juvenile gelding named Thee Auld Cruizer (NZ) and a filly of 2015 by Pins (Aus). Group placed over 1200 and 1600 metres, Thee Auld Hussie is a daughter of Thee Old Dragon (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}), who won a Group 3 in New Zealand, as well as running second in the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas and third in the filly equivalent during her racing days.
Saturday, Trentham, New Zealand
THORNDON MILE H.-G1, NZ$200,000 (US$145,356/£115,807/€135,874), WRC, 1-28, Open Set Weight With, 1600mT, 1:35.03, Dead.
1–&THEE AULD FLOOZIE, 53.5, m, 5, by Mastercraftsman (Ire)
1st Dam: Thee Auld Hussie (MSW & MGSP-NZ, $123,298), by Spinning World (USA)
2nd Dam : Thee Old Dragon, by Desert Sun (GB)
3rd Dam: Lady Kintyre, by Karol (Ire)
O-P D Craighead, L G Ford, S B Marsh, M C Roughead, Two Fat
Cows Syndicate, J G & Mrs S K Young; B-J G Young, Waikato,
NZ; T-S B Marsh; J-R J Myers; NZ$118,750. Lifetime Record:
27-9-7-0, NZ$365,460. Werk Nick Rating: A+ Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Prince of Passion, 55.0, g, 6, Castledale (Ire)–Hidden Passion
(Aus) , by Desert Prince (Ire). O-T O Harrison, T J Miller & D B
Bishop; B-T O Harrison, Auckland, NZ; T-T J Miller; J-M T
Coleman; NZ$38,000.
3–Abidewithme, 55.0, m, 7, Redoute's Choice (Aus)–Crimson,
by Zabeel. O/B-Sir Patrick & Lady Hogan, Waikato, NZ; T-S
Autridge & J Richards; J-O P Bosson; NZ$19,000.
Margins: 1.5 len, 3.0 len, 3.1 len. Odds: 9.60, 75.00, 15.40.
Also Ran: Volkstok'n'barrell, Serious Satire (Aus), Ringo, Authentic Paddy, Shadow Fox, Stolen Dance, Son of Maher (Aus), Seize the Moment, The Justice League, Ruud Not Too, Girl of My Dreams.
Click for the Racing Post result, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. NZ Racing Video.
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