Chris Waller Connected To Hawkes Bay Cup Winner

Champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller had a sale ring connection to Saturday’s Listed Hawkes Bay Gold Cup winner Chenille.

Waller purchased Chenille, a 4YO mare by Pentire, as a yearling for $NZ55,000 at the 2013 NZB Premier Sale at Karaka but it seems she was always destined to join the Tony Pike stable at Cambridge.

Pike bred and part-owns the mare along with his parents Vicki and Wayne. She was offered for sale at Karaka by their Longlands Stud.

Chenille’s win at Hastings was her first stakes success, leading home a trifecta of Karaka graduates in the historic handicap.

The four-year-old mare showed stamina and class to run down the leader Saint Emilion (Mastercraftsman) and draw away to win by a length and a half, setting a new Hastings course record for 2200m of 2:12.89.

The win was Chenille’s fifth from 17 career starts, and her third from her last five appearances.

“She’s a very promising stayer,” said Pike.

“We’ll give her a good break now and then get her ready for the big staying races next season.”

Chenille is out of the O’Reilly mare Charmed, who is also the dam of the Pike-trained G2 winner Chintz (Savabeel).

Runner-up Saint Emilion was passed in at the 2013 Select Sale. while third placegetter Savaria (Savabeel) pproduced her best stakes performance since she won last year’s G1 New Zealand Oaks by finishing third.

Savaria was bought for $110,000 at the same 2013 Premier Sale as Chenille.

• A dominant win in Saturday’s Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton has earned Pins filly No Pushover a share of the lead in the NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series.

The race was the third leg of the Series. The winners of the first two legs Windborne (Darci Brahma) and Honor That (Darci Brahma) were absent from the race.

After No Pushover’s easy win the trio now share the lead on seven points.

No Pushover crossed the line two lengths ahead of a fast-finishing Goodsav (Savabeel) and Deedee Panache (Darci Brahma).

No Pushover has now won two of her six starts, with the wins coming back-to-back after trainer Shaune Ritchie tried racing the filly in blinkers.

No Pushover was offered in the Karaka sale ring by Wentwood Grange at the 2015 Winter Mixed Bloodstock Sale, where owners KRD Racing bought her for just $3000. She has now won more than $40,000 and has earned black type.

The series concludes next Saturday with the Listed NZB Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton.

• PROLIFIC Swiss Ace sprinter Passing Shot was too strong for his rivals in Saturday’s Listed NZB Finance Sprint (1200m) at Hastings, the eighth win of the Karaka graduate’s 23-start career and his third at stakes level.

Previously successful in the G3 Mr Tiz Trophy and Listed Lightning Handicap, Passing Shot added Saturday’s sprint feature with a relentless front-running performance.

Prominent syndicators Go Racing bought Passing Shot for $50,000 at the 2013 Select Sale. He has now earned more than five times that in prize-money.