$20,000 Gavelhouse Plus Purchase Seeking Quick Return

Media Release - Tuesday July 26

The new owners of Pensardo will recoup their purchase price in double quick time if the filly can continue her winning form on the synthetic course at Cambridge on Wednesday.

Pensardo (outside) will contest the Martin Collins New Zealand Handicap (1300m) at Cambridge on Wednesday for new trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman. Photo: Trish Dunell

The daughter of Belardo was bought out of the recent Valachi Downs Dispersal Sale on the Gavelhouse Plus online platform for $20,000 and will race for twice that amount in the Martin Collins New Zealand Handicap (1300m).

Formerly trained by Stephen Autridge and Kris Shailer, Pensardo was secured at last month’s online auction by clients of Riccarton trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman and will make her way south after her final northern appearance.

“A good client of mine Snow Thomas, who raced Just Tommy with me a few years ago and he won the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m), said to me a while ago that they wouldn’t mind buying a nice horse or two,” Michael Pitman said.

“I said to him before the Valachi Downs Sale that it was a genuine sale and there should be good buying. I bought Pensardo for $20,000 on the Friday after she had won her last start and broke the track record (for 1300m) at Cambridge.

“Snow used to live just up the road from me and we’ve been friends for a long, long time and raced other horses with us just recently.”

With a lucrative purse up for grabs at Cambridge as one of four $40,000 MAAT races for their final meeting of the 21/22 season, it made sound financial sense for Pensardo to remain in the temporary northern care of good friends Graeme and Debbie Rogerson.

“We thought we would have a crack and they have been looking after the horse and I’ve been talking to Debbie every second day and she’s pretty happy with the horse,” said Pitman, who will be trackside to see the stable’s new acquisition race on Wednesday.

Advertisement

“I was prepared to pay a lot more for her and a couple or three jockeys were chasing the ride, but Craig (Grylls) has ridden winners for me and he’s been on in two of her last three starts so I’m more than happy to have him ride her again.

“If she gets beaten it’s not the end of the world, it’s only one race, and she’s not a dear horse and a three-year-old filly with a pedigree.”

A dual winner at Cambridge from six career outings, Pensardo is a daughter of the Star Witness mare Penny Star, who is from the family of the dual Group One winner Danendri and her grand-daughter Faint Perfume also claimed a brace of top-flight titles.

Meanwhile, the stable is looking forward to the Grand National carnival on their doorstep with Wild Rover a leading chance for the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup (1600m).

Currently the equal third favourite at $8.50, the son of No Nay Never was a comfortable winner on the course two runs back before he finished fourth at Ashburton.

“He’s a really grouse horse and was impressive when he won at Riccarton and I backed him up after two weeks and he wasn’t quite the same so he’ll go a month between runs,” Pitman said.

“I think he will be competitive, I’ve never set a horse specifically for the Winter Cup before. I’ve had runners, but it wasn’t the be all and end all whereas this horse’s main aim has always been the Winter Cup.” – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Home Affairs 2YOs Shine at Official Sydney Trials
I Am Invincible’s exciting young sire son Home Affairs was the talk of the town after the yearling sales this year when his progeny topped both Magic Millions and Inglis Easter and at Randwick on Monday morning he had two runners at the official 2YO trials and both of them came out winners.
Career Best Victory for Wentwood Grange Favourite Yearling
Dean Hawkins admits to shedding a tear or two when With Your Blessing was sold as a yearling.
French G3 Winner for Zoustar
The Group III Prix des Chenes (1600m) at Chantilly in France overnight produced a new stakes-winner for reigning champion Australian sire Zoustar with talented two year-old Oceans Four claiming his first Black Type win.
Aussie Mare Youngstar Produces Rising Japanese Staying Star Eri King
Australian Group I winning half-sisters Youngstar and Funstar are both at stud in Japan and the former has a very smart three year-old colt in Eri King, who won the Group II Kobe Shimbun Hai (2400m) at Hanshin on Sunday.
G1 Golden Rose Field and Barrier Draw
Godolphin filly Tempted will take on eight colts in a nine horse Group One Golden Rose at Rosehill on Saturday where she retains favouritism after drawing barrier eight.
Keeneland September Concludes with Record $531.5 Million in Sales
The 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale closed Saturday having achieved a defining industry milestone. Over 12 sessions, the sale rewrote records by selling 3,070 horses for a total of $531.5 million: the highest gross ever realized at a Thoroughbred auction worldwide. Historic highlights included 56 yearlings bringing seven figures, besting the previous record of 40 set in 2005 and led by a $3
Tara Talks Racing - Trials and Racing
This week we’re talking trials after an insightful set of official 2YO trials in Sydney, plus some racing and how Fangirl will eventually go to stud with two Group I wins less on her resume than there should be.
First trial success for Sword Of State
Cambridge Stud stallion Sword Of State was represented by an impressive trial winner when State Of Valour coasted to victory in his two-year-old heat over 730m at Te Rapa on Tuesday.
Pedigree Potential –NZB Ready to Run – Nicks that Click
A quality packed catalogue for the 2025 NZB Ready to Run Sale is now online and in the lead up to the sale we’ll go looking each week for some horses of interest that jump out on pedigree for various reasons.
Written Tycoon Filly Bursts into NZ 1000 Guineas Contention
The Gr.3 Sunline Vase (1400m) was expected to be the weekend’s key pointer for the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), but a spectacular performance on the Ellerslie undercard had its own impact on fixed-odds betting for the Christchurch classic.