Baby Guinness lands Te Rapa feature

7th Nov 2011

Promising Matamata mare Baby Guinness (NZ) (Stravinsky) scored a valuable black-type win in the listed 1200 metre Timpson Family Trust Sprint today at Te Rapa.

In the hands of Craig Grylls the four-year-old daughter of Stravinsky (Nureyev) held on to win by a head, over the second favourite The Hombre (Lucky Owners) with the fast finishing Appiel (Singspiel) in third place a long neck away. The favourite Veyron (NZ) (Thorn Park) was fourth.

From a wide barrier draw Grylls bounced the mare into a nice trailing position and tracked the leader Altered Image (NZ) (Strategic Image) into the straight.  

With 200 metres to run she hit the lead and held off a sustained challenge from The Hombre on the outside and Appiel on the inner.

Trained at Matamata by Karen Fursdon and Gemma Sliz Baby Guinness (NZ) has now won five races, from 16 starts and came into this race with good form through the grades having won twice and been placed second since resuming this time in .

“I was happy to see her win today, it was a big step up and it was nice to see she repaid our faith in her,” said her trainer Karen Fursdon.

“I have had a talk with the owners and we will now press ahead and run in the Group Two NRM Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Pukekohe in two weeks. She has a beautiful pedigree and it’s a real thrill for Gemma and I to train a horse like this.”

Baby Guinness (NZ) is out of the Zabeel (NZ) (Sir Tristram) mare J’Abeel (NZ) herself a granddaughter to the VRC and Queensland Oaks winner Denise’s Joy (seventh Hussar).  Her descendants include Joie Denise (Danehill), Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence), Tuesday Joy (NZ) (Canregie), More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready), Bentley Biscuit (Pentire Celebre) and the Champion sire Thorn Park (Spinning World). 

Fursdon and Sliz train Baby Guinness (NZ) for her breeders Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan who lease a shareholding to Markwood Lodge Ltd.

“Markwood Lodge is the three Matijasevich brothers, Andrew, Frank and Milan and their parents Maria and Victor, and they just love their racing so it was great to train a winner for them.  They have had a few horses in my stable in the past, and my Dad (Norm Crawford) used to train for Victor,” she added.

 And it’s thanks to another of her father’s connections Peter Stanaway that Fursdon has an association with Cambridge Stud.

“Peter Stanaway’s first job was with Dad and he left to join Cambridge Stud, he’s 65 now and still working there. 

He encouraged me to approach Cambridge Stud for horses to lease, and through that I got Upsetthym and now this lovely mare.”

Fursdon trained Upsetthym (NZ) (Rhythm) to win the 2004 Auckland Cup with Gemma Sliz aboard.