Clerks of the course Terry Wenn of Fencourt with his grey horse Von Tunzelman and background James Cropp with Oompah at the Cambridge synthetic track on Saturday. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Torrential rain in Tauranga during the week forced the transfer of racing on Saturday to the Cambridge synthetic track and locals made the most of the change in venue.
With more rain forecast in the Bay of Plenty on the day itself, race meeting organisers booked the Cambridge Jockey Club instead.
It was fruitful for Cleese with the Cambridge galloper taking out the Seeka Kiwifruit Cup (2000m), the Stephen Marsh-trained Windspeed winning the Aongatete Avojects (1300m) and Ralph Manning’s Caledonie winning the Kiwi Bus Builders 3YO (1300m).
Cleese winning at Cambridge on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Cleese had won his only start on the surface last year and trainer John Bell welcomed the venue change.
“It (venue change) had to happen,” Bell said, who booked former South African champion jockey Warren Kennedy to ride the five-year-old bay gelding.
“Tauranga would have been abandoned and everyone would have missed out. Half of the Tauranga fields got a run and there were horses in there that trainers gave their first try on the poly.
“Half of the people would have been happy and the other not, but they have got facilities there to cater for this and there were still seven races, so people would have had a bet and a bit of fun.
“My syndicate were over the moon. A lot of them are from Taupiri Rugby Club and evidently, they blew the roof off it, so it was a great thrill for them.”
Cleese dominated the race and kept his unbeaten polytrack record intact with a 4-3/4 length victory and Bell said he would have expected a similar result at Tauranga.
“When the two youngsters took off in front, he just sat in behind and did a great job. He has been working really well and I think he would have done a similar job on the grass at Tauranga,” he said.
The Tavistock-sired Windspeed defied the odds and erratic form to win race six for the Marsh stable with Cambridge apprentice jockey Crystal Lindsay on board the four-year-old bay mare. Ralph Manning-trained Stand Tall was third but out of the money with payouts on first and second only.
Earlier the Cambridge trainer’s Caledonie secured her third career victory winning the Kiwi Bus Builders 3YO (1300m) with Kennedy in the saddle.
His front-running ride saw Caledonie cross the line for a length win and a rest in the paddocks until the spring.
“It was quite fortunate for us that they transferred from Tauranga to the synthetic track here, as I wasn’t really convinced she would handle a very heavy track at Tauranga,” said Manning.
“We thought if we could get an early race we would give it a try, but coming back to the synthetic really played in our favour.”
See: Track pays dividends
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- Cambridge jockey Crystal Lindsay heads back to the scales after winning race six on Windspeed at the Jockey Club’s synthetic track. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
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- Windspeed leads down the Cambridge synthetic track home straight with from left: Ima Roca Bee, Darci’s Queen, Mister Roquette, Kai and Stand Tall. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
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- Jockey Crystal Lindsay brings Windspeed back to salute the judge after winning race 6 at Cambridge Jockey Club’ synthetic track. Clerk of the course is Terry Wenn of Fencourt.
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- Mister Roquette with Elen Nicholas and clerk of the course James Cropp with clerk of the course Terry Wenn in background at Cambridge Jockey Club.
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- Jockeys l-r Ngakau Hailey, Jessica Allen and Crystal Lindsay make their way to their horses in race 6 Cambridge Jockey Club.
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- Donovan Cooper returns victorious aboard the Lou Te Keeti-trained Electric Time at Cambridge last Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
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- Clerks of the course Terry Wenn of Fencourt with his grey horse Von Tunzelman and background James Cropp with Oompah at the Cambridge synthetic track on Saturday. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
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- Four-year-old bay mare Windspeed, trained in Cambridge by Stephen Marsh and ridden by apprentice Crystal Lindsay at the start of race 6 which she went on to win on the Cambridge synthetic track. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
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- Clerk of the course Terry Wenn brings in Windspeed ridden by Cambridge jockey Crystal Lindsay to salute the judge after their win in race 6 on the Cambridge synthetic track. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
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- Mister Roquette with jockey Elen Nicholas and clerk of the course James Cropp on Oompah with his colleague Terry Wenn on Von Tunzelman in the background at Cambridge Jockey Club. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
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- Michael McNab on Darci’s Queen makes his way to the starting stalls at Cambridge Jockey Club.
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- Windspeed leads down the straight with from left: Ima Roca Bee, Darci’s Queen, Mister Roquette, Kai and Stand Tall. Race 6 at Cambridge Jockey Club.
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- Caledonie striding out to victory under Warren Kennedy on the Cambridge Synthetic on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
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- Matamata jockey Ngakau Hailey at Cambridge Jockey Club.
