$500 Gamble Pays Off With a Stakes-Winner

Media Release - Sunday May 14

At just 21 years of age, Kurtis Pertab is surrounded by many far more qualified and experienced racing industry people.

However, any misgivings he might have harboured after spending $500 of his hard-earned on the Gavelhouse.com online auction were well and truly erased when his 10-start maiden purchase, Poser, won Saturday’s Listed Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m).

Poser defeats Leitrim Lad (inner) in the Listed Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m) Photo: Trish Dunell

As the winner of four of her six starts and more than $85,000 since changing hands, the Ocean Park mare has been a key flag-bearer for the young Matamata horseman, who combines breaking, pre-training, pinhooking and trading with a small racing string under the Pertab Racing banner.

“I knew Poser from when I was involved in breaking her in and taking her through to the trials for her breeder Mary Chittick,” Pertab said.

“Things didn’t work out for her after that, but when I saw her up on Gavelhouse this time last year, I thought she was worth a punt and bought her for what wasn’t much at all.

“I had always thought something of her, but then I had people telling me I was wasting my money – and being young you do wonder when others with a whole lot more knowledge tell you that.

“But I figured it was a big leap of faith, which meant sticking to my guns and putting a plan in place.”

The first step was to take Poser back to square one with a long spell and work from that base point.

After two late spring trials, the five-year-old made a winning debut for Pertab over 1600m at Tauranga in November and completed a hat-trick with Rating 65 and 75 middle-distance wins at Rotorua and Te Rapa.

Matamata trainer Kurtis Pertab Photo: Trish Dunell

“I knew she liked soft ground, so I decided to put her away over summer and make a plan with the aim to try and get some black-type with her,” Pertab said.

A fresh-up third placing over 1600m six weeks ago was followed by a forgivable seventh on a Good 4 track in the Gr. 3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2000m) in mid-April, and Pertab went into the Rotorua Cup confident Poser was up to the challenge.

“The ground was too firm for her at Awapuni but she had to run in it if I wanted her to be ready for Rotorua.

“That was the race I had targeted, and it had been a goal to train a stakes winner before I turned 22, so it’s great to get that ticked off.

Advertisement

“I was thrilled for Tegan (Newman, jockey) too, she’s been a big part of her development and put her in exactly the right spot.

“I was confident I had the mare bang-on and she got a perfect trip, which I guess you have to in these races.

“It’s great for everyone involved in the business – my partner Ava, my younger brothers Leroy and Lennox, along with Mum as well – they all chip in to make it work.

“I’ve had a heap of messages saying well done, including one from Garry and Mary (Chittick), which was really nice.”

Pertab saddled up his first runner in 2021 and went winless through his first two seasons, however that has changed significantly with a current season tally of seven wins from 21 starters.

To cap a good weekend, Pertab sent out the winner of the final race at Matamata on Sunday with Diomedes scoring a deserved maiden victory after three placings from his first six starts.

As the holder of a Class B trainer’s licence, his racing team numbers just a handful and he has no immediate plans to expand significantly in that direction.

“There might be the odd owner out there looking at me, but that will come in time. I haven’t forgotten where this all started and what makes the real money – breaking in, pretraining and trading.

“We did well at the Ready to Run Sale last year, selling all six in the draft with some good results for ourselves and clients.

“This year we’ll have a bigger draft – 10 or 12 by better stallions and more quality, so we’re looking forward to that.

“As for the rest of it, we’ll just keep doing what we do. I haven’t looked at what might be next for Poser but for now it’s mission accomplished with a stakes win on her record.” – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Friday July 4
Here is the full list of 38 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sixth Winner for Anders
First past the post at Wyong on June 24, talented Anders filly Sapling lost that race on protest, but quickly made amends when returning to the same track on Saturday to score her first actual victory.
Lisa Kennedy Recognized for Thoroughbred Welfare
Lisa Kennedy has always had a passion for thoroughbreds, and her efforts in guiding retired racehorses into new careers through EventStars were celebrated at Entain’s Industry Excellence Awards last Sunday as the winner of the Care and Welfare Excellence Award.
Dubawi Colt from $US8million Mare Wins G1 Coral Eclipse for Coolmore
Blueblood Dubawi colt Delacroix was a beaten favourite in the Group I Epsom Derby when unplaced behind his stablemate Lambourn, but he found his time to shine overnight when scoring a miraculous last to first win in the Group I Coral Eclipse Stakes (1m2f) at Sandown.
Spring Goals Await Caloundra Cup Winner Half Yours
With spring staying features on their minds, Tony and Calvin McEvoy sent their improving stayer north to Queensland for Saturday’s $300,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) with instant success as the 4yo gelding Half Yours romped home by four and a half lengths.
2026 Golden Slipper Entries – Sortable, Sale Mail – Find Out More
The new season is nearly upon us and that means all over the country a new crop of rising two year-olds are taking baby steps in the best stables in the land with the Australian Turf Club announcing this week they had received 1927 entries for the 2026 Golden Slipper, so who is in the race?
Invincible 3YO Wins G3 Winx Guineas
The $300,000 Group III Winx Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday featured a big field of 16 up and comers and following the late scratching of favourite Mister Bianco, Angela Jones took luck out of the equation on I Am Invincible gelding The Three Hundred.
New Sprint Star for WA?
Oakland Park's veteran WA sire Sessions is rarely without a good horse to represent him, and the son of Lonhro now has his sixth stakes winner after exciting 3YO galloper Repossession spanked the older horses to win the Listed Beaufine Stakes at Pinjarra Park.
Sweet Redemption for Stable Favourite Jimmy the Bear
Patrick and Michelle Payne enjoyed a red letter day at Flemington on Saturday with their rising star Buccleuch winning the Listed VRC Taj Rossi Series Final and then later in the day stable favourite Jimmy the Bear won the Listed VRC Winter Championship Series Final (1600m).
New Juvenile Stakes-Winner Wootton Bassett
A two year-old Wootton Bassett  colt bred to stay, Daytona made it two wins as many starts when scoring a dominant win in the Listed Pat Smullen Stakes (1m) at Naas in Ireland overnight.