MITRE PEAK wins again at Riccarton – 12th July 2024
Stepping in the right direction, Mitre Peak (3 f More Than Ready – Liten Prinsessa, by Bernardini) produced a big effort to win the $22,000 3YO 1400 metres on 12 July at Riccarton. Having won the Pearl Series Maiden Fillies & Mares 1200 metres (eligible $26,000 bonuses) on 31 May and finishing close third in the 3YO 1400 metres on 13 June, both on the poly track at Riccarton, Mitre Peak brought the right form amongst similar company to rate a top three chance.
Continuing her fine association with Te Akau apprentice Niranjan Parmar, who leads his peers in the apprentice premiership, Mitre Peak was content to lope along at the rear (seven lengths 600m), presented to the outside on straightening and let down with raking strides in a well timed finish to snare victory. In beating strongly supported Motiontime (Showtime), who had won four races, the performance by Mitre Peak was in keeping with the good progress she had made since recently winning her Maiden. Running 1400 metres in 1:24.0 on the poly track, in the race sponsored by Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap, Mitre Peak returned $6.30 & $1.50 on the NZ TAB tote.
Click HERE to see the race replay
For the Te Akau South Island stable at Riccarton, managed throughout the season by Hunter Durrant and Ashley Handley, Mitre Peak became the 62nd win from the Riccarton base, among a total of 168 for premiership leading trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson.
Co -Trainer Mark Walker was on track at Riccarton to watch his charge’s inpressive win “She looked terrific in the coat and it was a really good run to win, so well done to Ashley and Hunter,” he said. “They’re two highly accomplished horse people, totally dedicated and professional and we’re very fortunate to have them on staff. They’ve helped manage the horses and staff for Sam and I in the South Island and it’s all worked well to have that many wins from the stable there this season. Well done to John Galvin and his owners – they have allowed us to be patient with this filly and she’s now starting to string together some good performances. It was a really good win today because she stuck her neck out and tried very hard.”
MITRE PEAK – 2nd career win – Riccarton 12th July – Niranjan Parmar aboard
Fortuna Director John Galvin watched the race on Trackside from his Hamilton home. “My heart went into my mouth when she was slowly away,” he said. “She seemed to travel well and on the corner I thought she was a chance to run in the money, but she really motored home down the straight and she had me well and truly up and out my chair that last 200m – she showed a great turn of foot – very pleasing as she’s beaten a good field – and a lovely ride by Parmar – he didn’t panic when she was tardy away and he was really vigorous on her at the business end of the race. We don’t think Mitre Peak is the full deal yet, because she still has quite a bit of furnishing to go. So for her to win a couple of races, as she’s done this time in, is very satisfying. It was reported to us that her work had been good leading up to the race, we couldn’t fault her, but there were a couple more favoured in betting that appeared quite hard to beat. We were confident that she was going to run well, but not completely convinced that she was going to beat the others. But in the end she did – so a great training effort by Mark and Sam, ably assisted at Riccaron by Hunter and Ashley”
From the last crop of world renowned sire More Than Ready (Southern Halo), with over 2000 winners, Mitre Peak is from Liten Prinsessa, by another worldwide acclaimed sire Bernardini (A. P. Indy).
Liten Prinsessa, winner of four races to 1400 metres in Australia, is a sister to Karaka Million 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) winner and Champion Two-Year-Old Ruud Awakening, now the dam of Group Three winner Rise Of The Masses (Russian Revolution).
Mitre Peak was purchased for A$60,000 by David Ellis CNZM/Fortuna Racing at Inglis 2022 Classic Yearling Sale in Sydney.
Mitre Peak is raced by the Fortuna Mitre Peak Syndicate, an Ownership Group consisting of 53 individuals, mostly from NZ but with one syndicate Member from Australia
She was strapped by Naomi Warrender