NZ Spring Racing - Hawke's Bay

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Foxbridge Plate day was a bit crappy. I drove down to Hamilton expecting the day to be a celebration of spring racing starting, but instead it was winter racing at its worst!

There was torrential rain all day and the Te Rapa track was a total bog - some race times included 1:43 for a mile, 2:14 for 1600m (1m 2f) and 1:29 for the Foxbridge (1400/7 furlongs).

And the first 2 home in the Foxbridge were mudders, Baltaine and Aimee's Idol. No disrespect to those two good horses, but it was an awesome field and they were in the 2nd half of the field in terms of ability. Cog Hill went a brave race for 3rd, just ahead of Bulginbaah and Seachange.

Seachange never handled the ground, but hit the lead at the top of the stretch and fought really bravely, was only about 2 lengths behind the winner at the end. I just hope this tough race didn't take too much out of her, the Mudgway's only 2 weeks away.

There was some good racing today, and I loved seeing good handicapper Cape Kinaveral win an undercard race, but the bad weather, disappointing result in the Foxbridge and worst of all a horse having to be put down in another one of the undercard races ruined it for me.