The TAB Racing Club got their first taste of success at Ascot Park on Friday when Bella Ragazza carried their silks to victory in the Southport Handicap (1400m).
The four-year-old daughter of Tivaci was having her fifth start for local trainer Robert Dennis, having placed on two prior occasions for the Southland horseman before her breakthrough win for the Club on Friday.
"She has been with us for five months or so now and has been improving all the time," Dennis said. "She's a somewhat physically immature mare and hopefully she has got her confidence up after today and can go on with it.
"It was a very testing track (Heavy10) today and I was a bit unsure how she would handle it. It was back to rating 60 grade on her home course, with blinkers on, and she has always worked well and looks the part, so I was a little bit confident."
The TAB Racing Club is an initiative by Entain Australia & New Zealand to promote racehorse ownership among TAB customers, mirrored off the success off their Ladbrokes Racing Club in Australia, and is free to join.
Dennis was part of the initial round of submissions from trainers to acquire a yearling from the Club earlier this year, and while he was unsuccessful, he was pleased to receive a phone call shortly after asking him if he was interested in taking on a tried horse for the Club.
"The TAB Racing Club called for applicants from trainers, and I submitted an application. I didn't get a yearling at Karaka, but they contacted me later on to say they had a horse on lease ready to go and they wanted us to train it down here for them," Dennis said.
"They have been very good to train for, they have left the decision making to me, which has been fantastic. It's a little more publicity with all the updates going out to the TAB customers that want to sign up, and it has been fantastic.
"It is a privilege to train a horse for them and it is great to get a win for them with their new initiative."
The TAB Racing Club was officially launched in September, with the majority of horses in the Club having been purchased as yearlings earlier this year.
Bella Ragazza is the only racehorse in training with the Club at present and TAB Racing Club Manager Wade Smith said it is exciting to get success so early in the Club's infancy.
"It is very exciting for the Club," Smith said. "She is the only non-two-year-old (in the Club). We leased her off Elsdon Park and it is nice for her to kick it off for the Club."
With having so many youngsters in the Club, Smith said racing a tried horse has helped keep interest in the TAB initiative.
"We have got a lot of two-year-olds coming through, which will be exciting, but by having something that was ready-made to race keeps the interest up for everyone while we wait for these two-year-olds to start hitting the track," he said.
Smith is hoping Bella Ragazza's win entices more TAB customers to join the Racing Club and experience the thrill of racehorse ownership, without the commitment.
"The Club is free to join for any TAB customer and they can get the experience of being an owner," he said. "They get all the behind-the-scenes raceday communication and when we have got runners on raceday they can get the chance to have that raceday ownership experience.
"We have got 13 thoroughbreds and four standardbreds at the moment, which will turn two come the new year, so there will be plenty of excitement to be had.
"To join the Racing Club, all you have to do is go to the TAB app or website, tab.co.nz, and there is a link on the home page where you can sign-up. From there you can follow whichever horses you like. We offer ballots for raceday experiences and other non-raceday events. There is a lot of enticement to be a part of the Club."
To join the TAB Racing Club, visit: tab.co.nz/racing-club
While thrilled with Friday's win, Dennis is hoping he can build on that momentum into Wingatui's Melbourne Cup Day meeting on Tuesday where he will be represented by a quartet of runners.
Dennis is confident of a bold showing from Hasstobeyou in the the Open 1400m, while the Waikato Stud-bred and owned Missoni will be vying to make it back-to-back wins in the Rating 65 mile.
"Hasstobeyou is certainly building to a win fourth-up," Dennis said. "Tina Comignaghi is riding her, and she has won at the course and distance before.
"Missoni is going from strength-to-strength. She is a lovely mare that might still be 12 months away yet."
Stablemate's Vino Valentino and The Princie One will also by looking to repeat their last start winning heroics in the Rating 75 2200m and Rating 65 1200m respectively.
"It was a good win by Vino Valentino last time," Dennis said. "It is a step up in grade, but she should be competitive. The Princie One is a class mare and she will be a lot fitter after her first-up run."
