NZ Racing News

The Barneswood, Brady, Nakhle, Slot Holder partnership has announced the Stephen Marsh-trained and Go Racing owned Penman (NZ) as their representative in next month’s $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), and they are hoping they have struck gold with their selection.

“It sort of feels like Willy Wonka’s golden ticket. Everyone is looking for that chocolate bar with the golden ticket in it and we are hoping we have got the chocolates,” Slot Holder representative Daniel Nakhle said.

The partnership is comprised of a group of close racing friends, and with their representative locked in, they can’t wait to watch the action unfold in the Southern Hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race at Ellerslie on Barfoot & Thompson Champions Day, 8 March.

“Sarah, Chris (Green) and Ger (Beemsterboer) from Barneswood Farm, they are fantastic friends,” Nakhle said. “We met them through Peter and Dawn Williams (trainers), and we have been fast friends ever since. 

“Darren Brady is one of my best friends, we met through a horse as well, so it is funny how this horse game brings people together. He and his brother Brian have got a share. 

“It is a great bunch of really cool people that understand the ups and downs of the racing and breeding game, and because of their understanding we tend to celebrate a reasonable amount when things go our way.”

Go Racing’s General Manager Matt Allnutt was thrilled to secure the slot with Barneswood, Brady and Nahkle team.

“They are great people to race with and we will enjoy the day with them,” he said. “I am sure we can have champagne before and after the race!

“We have always had a high opinion of Penman and as a son of Contributer he is really starting to come into his own as a three-year-old.

“He continues to progress and on our numbers he is very much a live chance in the race.”

Nakhle is excited about the prospects of Penman in the NZB Kiwi, and said his impressive last start victory at Tauranga sealed their decision. 

“He is a horse that is on the up,” Nakhle said. “The whole team put our heads together and we haven’t really gotten serious about many, and certainly hadn’t pushed the panic button at all, even with the race three weeks away. 

“He really impressed us in the last 100m of his races, the way he stretches out. I had a talk with Stephen Marsh at the races at Te Aroha last Wednesday and he is a guy whose judgment I really rate, and he certainly rates the horse very highly.

“He had some good form around him (in his last start win) and the fact that his stablemate behind him (Tardelli) was stakes placed, and the third horse (Domain Ace) is in the NZB Kiwi as well, it starts looking like really tidy form for a rating 65 win.”

Nakhle is looking forward to partnering with both Marsh and Go Racing, who race the son of Contributer in partnership with Toro Bloodstock.

“One of the great things about Penman is the ownership and training team. They are a great bunch of people to be racing one with,” Nakhle said.

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh has now doubled down on his assault on the NZB Kiwi, with stablemate Ardalio having already been secured by The King’s Men Slot Holder syndicate. 

“It is very exciting to have our second runner for the slot race,” Marsh said. “We think he (Penman) is very talented. He is one of those horses on the rise.”

“It is a very exciting race, it has got everyone talking and pumped up about it. The whole day is starting to build excitement.”

Marsh is particularly pleased for New Zealand syndicator Go Racing, who have been great supporters of his stable, and missed out on securing a slot at the auction last year.

“I think they may have had a couple of cracks at a slot but didn’t manage to get one, so this is good now that we have got a horse in it,” Marsh said.

Penman will get his first look at Ellerslie when he lines up at the track this weekend, his last engagement prior to next month’s NZB Kiwi.

“He will run on Saturday at Ellerslie and then into the slot,” Marsh said. “He is a very progressive horse and is one of those horses that keeps on improving. 

“Matt Cartwright came and galloped him on Friday, and he was super. I think he is right on the way up.”

Bred by Mapperley Stud principal Simms Davison, Penman was offered through his farm’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB) National Yearling Sales Series Book 1 draft where he was purchased by Toro Bloodstock for $60,000.

He was then offered through Riversley Park’s NZB Ready to Run Sale draft later that year, with a majority share subsequently purchased by Go Racing.

He has now won two and finished runner-up in two of his four starts to date, accruing more than $40,000 in prizemoney. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Penman winning at Tauranga at his last start. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Multiple Group One winner Atishu will kick-off what will likely be her last racing campaign when she heads to Randwick on Saturday to contest what is shaping to be a very competitive Gr.2 Apollo Stakes (1400m).

Raced by New Zealand syndicator Go Racing, the seven-year-old mare has had two trials in the lead-up to her first-up target and Go Racing General Manager Matt Allnutt said he has received positive reports from trainer Chris Waller.

“Chris got her going a bit earlier than he has in recent campaigns,” Allnutt said. “He has been really happy with her work and her trials have been good.

“She will need this run on Saturday and then she will be a lot more forward than she has been previously second-up.

“It is going to be a great race on Saturday.”

Flemington elite-level targets await Atishu following the weekend, and Allnutt is looking forward to returning to the Melbourne track where she has had so much success.

Her Flemington victories include the Gr.1 Champions Stakes (2000m), Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m), Gr.2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) and Gr.2 Blamey Stakes (1600m), while she has also placed in the Champions Stakes, Empire Rose Stakes and Gr.1 Australian Cup (2000m).

“She will go to the All-Star Mile (Gr.1, 1600m) and then the Australian Cup, that’s the plan at this stage,” Allnutt said.

“This is more than likely going to be her last season of racing, so it is all about maximising her value and winning as many Group Ones as we can.”

Purchased by Go Racing out of Waikato Stud’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale for $260,000, Atishu has gone on to win 11 races, three at Group One level, and earned more than A$5.5 million in prizemoney.

“She has just been a marvel for us all the way through,” Allnutt said. “She is now a triple Group One winner, she has been a great horse for us and the syndicate love her.”

Meanwhile, the Go Racing team were pleased to see their Group One-winning filly Velocious carry their silks to victory in her 800m trial at Ellerslie on Tuesday.

The winner of last season’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) and Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) underwent a wind operation late last year and has been making a pleasing return for trainer Stephen Marsh.

“We are really happy. We have taken her along slowly after the wind operation,” Allnutt said.“Today was a step in the right direction. She probably knocked up a bit late today, but Rory (Hutchings, jockey) said she felt great, her breathing was good and she felt nice and strong under saddle. We are very encouraged with what we saw today.”

No set plans have yet been made for the daughter of Written Tycoon, who will have one more trial before making her raceday return.

“She will have one more trial now in a fortnight’s time and she will be more forward for that and then safely through that we will start thinking about where she is going to go and what we are going to do,” Allnutt said.

“If she can come back to somewhere near what she was as a two-year-old, she will be more than competitive in black-type racing again.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk