Spy: The richest races of the year
16 Jan, 2021 04:00 PM
2 minutes to read
Former supermodel Kylie Bax will be at the Karaka Million.
Millionaires from around the world will be viewing the sales virtually this year but our local A-Listers will descend on the Auckland Racing Club on Saturday for the annual New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Million.
The Million is known as the first social gathering for a catch up after the summer holidays. The late-afternoon event has six races, two of which are run for $1 million in prize money, making it NZ s richest night of sport.
Former supermodel Kylie Bax, who has horse breeding in her blood, is passing the dynasty to another generation her eldest daughter, Lilo, will sing the national anthem at the Million.
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Owners Hermitage Thoroughbreds and trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have gone back-to-back, scoring their second consecutive victory in the Group 2 SkyCity Auckland Guineas (1600m) at Ellerslie on Friday.
The combination captured last year’s edition of the three-year-old feature with Dragon Leap, and have struck Guineas gold again 12 months later with Rocket Spade.
Making his first start since a close fifth behind Aegon in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in early November, Rocket Spade raced keenly but took up a comfortable position in seventh, one off the rail.
The colt travelled boldly just behind the leaders rounding the home turn, and he lengthened stride stylishly when jockey Craig Grylls pushed the button in the straight. Rocket Spade swept to the front and went clear, beating the strong-finishing Jason Belltree by three-quarters of a length.
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A low-key thoroughbred meeting on Thursday is likely to capture national interest in New Zealand as jockey Chris Johnson seeks to establish a new national record at Ashburton.
Johnson has seven rides at the racecourse predominantly recognised for feature harness races held on the inside of the turf course proper track, and requires one winner to claim outright top spot after joining David Walsh at the summit on 2451 New Zealand wins at Ascot Park Racecourse in Invercargill last Saturday aboard the Ellis Winsloe-trained Point Score.
Three of Johnson s seven rides at Ashburton are supplied by the training partnership of John and Karen Parsons - Baby Menaka, Letsbringiton and Quintuple Twins.