Joshua Brown Wins Listed Opunake Cup

Media Release - Saturday July 19

The rookie pair of Joshua Brown and his owner-trainer Lance Gussey took out one of New Zealand racing’s biggest winter prizes in Saturday’s $120,000 Listed Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth.

Joshua Brown upon winning the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

Things have happened quickly for Joshua Brown, who made his debut only 15 months ago in April 2024, and also for Cambridge-based Gussey and his wife Angela. With only five horses in work, Gussey now boasts four wins from just 20 career starters.

Gussey is continuing the thoroughbred legacy of his late father, Joshua Brown’s breeder Ron Gussey. Joshua Brown gave the younger Gussey his first training success at Rotorua in May of last year, followed by two more at Te Rapa in September and June. But Saturday’s black-type triumph towers above them all.

“That was amazing,” Gussey said. “Lynsey Satherley gave him a perfect ride and the horse did us proud. It’s a great feeling.

“The horse has come a long way in quite a short time. He’s a bit of a hard horse to get a line on when he’s fit, but I think he’s fit now!

“I really don’t know where we’ll go with him from here. We’ll have to talk about it and make a plan. This was the race we were targeting, and we’ve done it, so I think we’ll just enjoy that for now.”

Saturday’s Opunake Cup was the 13th start of Joshua Brown’s career. The Dalghar gelding has now won on four occasions, placed in another three and has banked $149,540 in stakes.

Drawn the outside gate in an 11-horse Opunake Cup field, Joshua Brown broke only fairly and eased back to settle in second-last. With leaders having won all of the previous five races on the card, that seemed to be far from an ideal place to be.

But Satherley allowed the five-year-old to roll forward midway through the race, improving around the outside of the field and drawing up alongside the leader Spencer before the home turn.

Advertisement

Joshua Brown pounced and took command in the straight, pulling ahead of a tiring Spencer.

Soldier Boy emerged as a big threat with powerful late finish down the outside, but Joshua Brown saw him coming and lifted again. He kicked away in the final 75m and won by a length with his ears pricked.

“This means a lot,” said Satherley, who has ridden Joshua Brown in all but one of his 13 starts. “He’s a champion horse for champion people. They’ve been loyal to me and this horse has been great.

“He’s not the easiest. He’s probably one of the hardest horses I’ve ever dealt with. You’d never get an exhibition gallop out of him, and some days we’re lucky if we can even gallop him. But he’s got a ton of ability and he’s done it pretty easily today. He doesn’t even really know what he’s done.

“It was a muddling race, they didn’t seem to really know what they were doing, so I just kept him happy. He’s a horse you’ve got to keep happy.

“He rolled around them easily. To be fair, he probably could have won by more, but he does wait for them.

“I don’t really like travelling, so I probably wouldn’t have come down this far today if I didn’t rate this horse highly. It was well worth it for him.

“He’s got a bright future. You’ve just got to play around with this horse. He’s not Mr Easy. You’ve got to keep him happy and let him think he’s winning.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk.

Advertisment

Race Result - Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Opunake Cup LR 1400m

New Plymouth Raceway Track: Heavy(10) Time: 1:36.15
1
Joshua Brown
- 5g Dalghar (FR) x Midnight Mistress (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: L R Gussey Rdr: L H Satherley 53
2
1
Soldier Boy
- 6g Proisir (AUS) x Forty Love (NZ) (Ekraar (USA))
Tnr: G H Sharrock Rdr: K L Chung 53
3
1.3
Make Time
- 8g Makfi (GB) x Island Time (NZ) (Al Akbar (AUS))
Tnr: Ms L Latta Rdr: B Queiroz 53
4
1.7
Belardo Boy
- 6g Belardo (IRE) x L'amour (NZ) (Towkay (AUS))
Tnr: Ms L Latta Rdr: J K Riddell 60
5
2
Our Jumala
- 6m Zed (NZ) x Baltis (NZ) (Al Akbar (AUS))
Tnr: Robbie Patterson Rdr: C Dell 54
6
2.5
Spencer
- 5g Derryn (AUS) x Darcistar (NZ) (Darci Brahma (NZ))
Tnr: E R Hocquard Rdr: K Chowdhoory 58.5
7
3
Chajaba
- 8g Keano (NZ) x Hostage (NZ) (Handsome Ransom (AUS))
Tnr: Ms T Egan Rdr: Elle Sole 56.5
8
3.7
Gospodin
- 7g Proisir (AUS) x O'gosh (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: J C Pender Rdr: K R Hercock 54.5
9
4
Belles Beau
- 4g Iffraaj (GB) x Belles Fast (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: Robbie Patterson Rdr: K A Myers 53
10
4.5
Little Bit Of Love
- 5g Time Test (GB) x Little Bit Irish (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: L O'sullivan & A Scott Rdr: Joe Doyle 53
11
17.2
Sinbin
- 5m Derryn (AUS) x Monie O'ceirin (NZ) (Handsome Ransom (AUS))
Tnr: Robbie Patterson Rdr: M K Hudson 53
More Reading...
Kiwi Cup Contender Headed to Australia
Melbourne Cup aspirant Trav secured his plane ticket across the Tasman with a pleasing performance over 2100m at Ellerslie on Saturday.
2025 National Thoroughbred Week Launched
National Thoroughbred Week, the newly launched industry initiative designed to bring the public closer to the thoroughbred and our sport, is excited to confirm a truly trans-Tasman exposure, with hosts confirmed across all Australian and New Zealand regions.
Breednet Follow the Official Sydney 2YO Trials - 4-6
All 2YO heats this morning run at Randwick over 850m with these trials the key factor in deciding fields for the Group III ATC Breeders Plate and Gimcrack Stakes in two weeks time.
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.
Sires With Winners - Monday September 22
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
One to Watch – Warrnambool
So You Think is the first sire to hit 40 winners for the season and he did it with a three year-old filly that won easily on debut at Warrnambool on Monday in the Kia Ora Stud colours.
Breednet Follow the Official Sydney 2YO Trials - 7 – 9
All 2YO heats this morning run at Randwick over 850m with these trials the key factor in deciding fields for the Group III ATC Breeders Plate and Gimcrack Stakes in two weeks time.
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.
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.
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.