Pure Champion up for Awapuni challenge; Honest Matimba due to break through; McDonald third in series.

Pure Champion up for Awapuni challenge

Pure Champion will return to the Central Districts on Saturday week for the Gr.3 Manawatu Challenge Stakes at Awapuni.

The former Hong Kong galloper has taken no harm from his unplaced run last time out in the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham.

“He was only about two and a-half lengths from the winner after over doing things in front,” co-trainer Andrew Scott said. “We’re hoping he’ll improve rapidly.

“We’re also taking the two-year-old Strata Lady down there and looking forward to her racing. She won impressively at the Rotorua trials.”

Honest Matimba due to break through

The form book points to a deserved home town win for Matimba at Tauranga on Friday.

The six-year-old has been a genuine performer for owner-trainer Peter Darvill and the Young Read Woudberg, Chartered Accountants 1400 presents the gelding with an ideal opportunity.

Matimba has only won two of his 31 starts, but he has been in the money a further 18 times and has placings to his credit behind quality performers including Group One prospect Silver Eclipse and in an open handicap behind Fix.

More recently, the Perfectly Ready six-year-old finished third on the course behind the stakes winner Salamanca and last time out he was again third behind the progressive duo of Sports Illustrated and Ultraviolet.

McDonald third in series

New Zealander James McDonald finished third in the Hong Kong International Jockey’s Championship.

He closed the series with 18 points, courtesy of a victory in the first leg aboard Expectator and a second placing in the final leg.

The championship at Happy Valley on Wednesday night was won by the Japanese jockey Yuichi Fukunaga with 24 points.

"I am the first Japanese jockey to win this outright, so I am very happy and honoured to have done so,” he said.

The runner-up was Joao Moreira, who finished the series on 20 points.