No Nay Never's Slipper Island Caps Breakthrough Campaign

Breednet - Saturday April 12

Saturday’s Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m) capped a remarkable four-win sequence at Trentham for Slipper Island, whose trainer Tony Pike now has his eye on an even bigger prize at the Wellington track.

Slipper Island winning Saturday’s Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m) at Trentham. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

As recently as January of this year, Slipper Island was an underachiever with a record that fell far short of his talent. The five-year-old son of No Nay Never had won only twice in a 26-start career, with another nine minor placings and a rating languishing in the low 60s.

But Pike mapped out a series of sprints down the Trentham chute through the summer and early autumn, and Slipper Island has turned his whole career around with four straight wins. He kicked off the sequence in Rating 65 grade on Wellington Cup Day on January 18, followed by Rating 75 victories on March 2 and again under a 59kg topweight on March 29.

Saturday’s $80,000 black-type feature was another big step up in class, but Slipper Island rose to the occasion and carried on his winning way.

Advertisement

Slipper Island broke awkwardly from gate three, but soon recovered and took up a midfield position along the rail.

When the front-runner Idyllic rolled away from the fence coming across on to the course proper, jockey Lily Sutherland drove Slipper Island through on her inside.

Slipper Island dashed to the front with 200m remaining and quickly moved two lengths clear of Idyllic, but his job was far from over. Group One winner Pier was powering out of the pack, while the talented mare Tomodachi flew home down the extreme outside.

The three of them hit the finish line locked together, with Slipper Island maintaining a margin of a half-head over Pier. Tomodachi was the same margin away in third.

Slipper Island was offered by Hallmark Stud in Book 1 of Karaka 2021, where Pike Racing bought him for $180,000. He has now had 30 starts for six wins, nine placings and $246,664 in stakes.

“He was very good today,” Pike said. “He’s certainly loved that chute at Trentham in his last few starts and has gone to a whole new level.

“He’s probably done enough in this preparation now and can go out for a bit of a spell. We’ll see how he comes up next time in, but if he could get to the level of a race like the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m), that would be a great target to try to aim at.”

Slipper Island completed a black-type double on the Trentham card for Sutherland, who made a similar winning move along the inside rail aboard Mehzebeen in the Listed Valley D’Vine Restaurant Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m).

By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment

Race Result - City Of Napier Sprint LR 1200m

Trentham Track: Soft(5) Time: 1:05.13
1
Slipper Island
- 5h No Nay Never (USA) x Pedicel (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: A W Pike Rdr: L Sutherland 53.00
NZB Karaka Book 1 $180,000
Seller: Hallmark Stud
Buyer: Pike Racing
2
0.1
Pier
- 5g Proisir (AUS) x La Vitesse (NZ) (Darci Brahma (NZ))
Tnr: Darryn & Briar Weatherley Rdr: M J Mc Nab 54.50
3
0.2
Tomodachi
- 4m Tarzino (NZ) x Quintessentially (NZ) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: L O'sullivan & A Scott Rdr: M Hashizume 53.00
4
1
Marotiri Molly
- 6m Per Incanto (USA) x Marotiri Miss (NZ) (Al Akbar (AUS))
Tnr: M T Dixon Rdr: K R Hercock 59.00
5
2.5
Idyllic
- 6m No Nay Never (USA) x Idlewild (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: Kevin & Stephen Gray Rdr: K Chowdhoory 53.00
6
2.7
Platinum Attack
- 4g Santos (AUS) x Conchita (AUS) (Uncle Mo (USA))
Tnr: Ms L Latta Rdr: Matthew Cartwright 53.00
7
3
Silent Is Gold
- 6g Star Turn (AUS) x Confident (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: Kevin & Stephen Gray Rdr: C J Grylls 54.00
8
5
Fancy Like Lass
- 5m Hellbent (AUS) x Mandalong Belle (AUS) (Choisir (AUS))
Tnr: S Thompson Brown & M Brown Rdr: B D Rogerson 53.00
9
5.5
Ivy Dazzler
- 8m Nadeem (AUS) x Ivy Hall (NZ) (Towkay (AUS))
Tnr: Ms I Kelly Rdr: M Singh 53.00
10
5.7
Bold Belle
- 6m The Bold One (NZ) x Gossiping (NZ) (Al Akbar (AUS))
Tnr: B E Newman Rdr: K L Chung 53.00
11
6.5
Scouser
- 4m Contributer (IRE) x Thorn Star (NZ) (Thorn Park (AUS))
Tnr: C W Cole Rdr: C Dell 54
12
7.8
Perfectsister
- 6m Per Incanto (USA) x Justlikeyasister (NZ) (Gold Centre (AUS))
Tnr: G R Vile Rdr: Ashvin Mudhoo 53.00
13
8.9
Faraglioni
- 6m El Roca (AUS) x Catch Your Idol (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: Joshua Shaw Rdr: J K Riddell 57.00
More Reading...
Kiwi Bred Good Banter Finds Winning Form
Four-year-old mare Good Banter was back in the winner’s circle when narrowly prevailing in the Catanach's Jewellers Handicap (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday for trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton.
Snitzel Filly Bridal Waltz Wins A.R. Creswick Stakes
While many felt the winner of Saturday’s Listed $175,000 VRC A.R. Creswick Stakes (1200m) had raced two weeks prior in the Shop Flemington Handicap (1100m) – and they would’ve been correct – but it was not the result many punters felt it would be!
Divine Prophet’s Fortunate Kiss Captures Elusive Black Type Win
With nine top five finishes in previous black type races, it was better late than never as 6yo Divine Prophet mare Fortunate Kiss charged along the inside to win the $300,000 Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday – her first black type victory.
Buccleuch - First Stakes-Winner for Peltzer
The $175,000 Listed VRC Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday was won back in 2020 by Cherry Tortoni, who went to on to become a multiple Group winner of nearly $1million and the same colours were carried by this year’s winner Buccleuch.
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).
Pride’s Outsider Estadio Mestalla Wins Winter Stakes
The lone stakes race on Rosehill’s ten-race card on Saturday saw Joe Pride’s race outsider Estadio Mestalla (Galileo Gold) take out the $200,000 Listed ATC Winter Stakes (1400m) in a boilover.
Marble Nine Brings Up Second SW For Aquis Sire Kobayashi
The withdrawal of the top weight in Saturday’s $175,000 Listed VRC Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final (1200m) at Flemington saw the field down to just six, with Marble Nine continuing his outstanding recent form to secure his first black type victory.
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.
Sires With Winners - Saturday July 5
Here is the full list of 112 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Flemington Victory for Tarzino Mare
Quirky but talented mare Miss Tarzy has come from last win the Leilani Series Final (1400m) under a patient Jett Stanley ride.