Stunning field for the Mudgway on the opening day of the meeting.
4:30
MUDGWAY STAKES
G1
1400m
$250,000
1 2110X Sir Slick 16 113 59.0 Graeme Nicholson, Te Aroha
2 8X153 Cog Hill 19 111 59.0 Michael Walker Richard Collett & Shane Hapeta, Pukekohe Park
3 72224 Bulginbaah 9 107 59.0 Jim Collett Ken Cropp & Catherine Wilson, Wanganui
4 413X8 Bonjour 8 100 59.0 Noel Harris Karen Zimmerman, Otaki
5 2360X Jokers Wild 14 101 58.5 Michael Coleman Mike & Paul Moroney, Matamata
6 12X15 Seachange 10 110 56.5 Gavin McKeon Ralph Manning, Cambridge
7 4022X Gaze 15 105 56.5 Mark Hills Roger James, Cambridge
8 17X80 Hasta La Ciao Ciao 1 103 56.5 David Walsh Roger James, Cambridge
9 351X7 Sarajay 2 101 56.5 Darryl Bradley John Sargent, Matamata
10 10X32 Aimee's Idol 13 100 56.5 Sam Spratt Vince Roberts, Ruakaka
11 3364X Kay's Awake 3 100 56.5 Cameron Lammas Peter McKay, Matamata
12 8310X Splashing Out 11 96 56.0 Guy Lowry, Hastings
13 49112 Porotene Gem 7 94 56.0 Kevin Gray, Copper Belt Lodge, Palmerston North
14 211X6 Princess Coup (AUS) 5 94 56.0 Chris Johnson Mark Walker, Matamata
15 13223 J'Adane 4 88 56.0 Russell Cameron & Gareth McRae, Pukekohe Park
16 2100X The Pooka (AUS) 6 83 51.0 Lisa Cropp John Wheeler, New Plymouth
Emergencies:
17 77X11 Who Knows 12 101 59.0 Natalie Tanner, Muriwai Beach
18 1983X Vercors 17 96 56.5 Graeme Rogerson & Garry Newham, Tuhikaramea
19 3X9X6 Irish Rover 18 103 59.0 Robert Hannam Eddie Carson, Trentham
Just to help you out with some you may not be familiar with:
SIR SLICK - Won 3 G1s in a row last season, got within a head of a fourth.
COG HILL - In the first five 30 times in his 33-race career.
JOKERS WILD - Dual G1 winner, placed at G1 in Australia (beating Haradasun and Efficient)
SEACHANGE - 4-time G1 winner, aiming to be first horse in history to win Mudgway two years in a row.
GAZE - Multiple G2 winner in NZ and Australia.
SARAJAY - 3-length G2 winner at the end of last season, twice placed in G1s.
KAY'S AWAKE - Twice placed at G1 level.
SPLASHING OUT - Stakes winner in Australia.
POROTENE GEM - G1 winner last season, beating Jokers Wild.
PRINCESS COUP - Won the Oaks by 4 lengths last season.
J'ADANE - G2-placed in Australia.
THE POOKA - A three year old in this company...ambitious. Won a G2 by 8 lengths last season though.
The undercard fields are amazing too, and the weather forecast is for fine weather right through to Sunday so it looks like the start of spring racing.
Now to try to work out some selections for the newspaper.
