Rangipo wins 2016 Auckland Eye Avondale Guineas Group 2 NZ$100,000 at Ellerslie (NZ) 3yo, 2100m.
Rangipo, from barrier six, took up a handy spot passing the judge with a circuit to run and rounding the far bend settled well in third on the fence. Holding the rail he stayed in third to the 1000m, then fourth at the 600m but kept the fence. Just before straightening jockey Vinnie Colgan moved up to be handier and his momentum saw him alongside the leaders at the 350m and a hundred metres later with a length break. Raghu (inner) and Brighton (outer) both tried to run him down but he held on tenaciously at the post for a gutsy win.
Brighton was well back at the 1200m and looked a forlorn hope before the straight, but found space at the 300m and kept finding all the way to the line for a solid second.
Raghu held a narrow lead past the 600m and a similar lead at the 350m. When Rangipo drove past Raghu dug deep and stuck with him and never really gave way, just going under in the last few strides, for a well fought close up equal third.
Get That Jive was midfield at the 600m and moved wide into the straight where he made his strong run out in the middle of the track, eating into the lead of the winner to tie Raghu at the post, a nice New Zealand Derby trial.
