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Pearl Series proving a popular option for New Zealand owners.

3 minute read

A stunning home straight dash carried promising three-year-old filly Acquisto to a last stride victory at Hastings last Thursday that provided her smiling connections with double the reason to celebrate.

Acquisto winning the Nzb Ins. Pearl Series (Bm65)
Acquisto winning the Nzb Ins. Pearl Series (Bm65) Picture: Race Images PN

Not only was it the second career win for the stakes placed daughter of Thewayyouare but it was also the second helping the filly had taken from the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Pearl Series Bonus prize pool.

The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association administered scheme was introduced in 2013 to benefit owners, trainers and breeders of thoroughbred fillies racing in New Zealand. The scheme provides bonuses of almost $2.6 million and prizemoney of nearly $2.8 million across 215 individual races over three seasons’ racing for fillies and mares nominated as yearlings.

About to commence its third year of operation, the Pearl Series has been a popular addition to the New Zealand racing scene as evidenced by those trainers who are now setting their racing programmes to specifically target a slice of the scheme’s bonus pool.

Acquisto was the first filly we registered for the scheme back in 2013 and it’s proved to be a very wise move,” admitted part-owner Chrissy Bambry.

“She has only won two races to date but they were both races where the midweek $11,500 bonus applied. She has won just over $22,000 in prizemoney in her career to date but has effectively doubled that with the two bonuses she has won.

“While we think she is a filly who can compete at a high level we have specifically set her for the Pearl Series races to try and boost our returns whenever we can.

“We definitely believe in the scheme and this year we will nominate another three of our yearlings that will be eligible so hopefully we can get amongst it when they are ready to get to the track.”

A total of 650 fillies were initially registered for the scheme in the first year of operation with another 475 in year two. NZTBA Chief Executive Michael Martin expects that number to swell for year three now that the programme is in full swing.

“We have been delighted with the registrations since the scheme’s inception and I think we may be in for a record number this year,” he said.

“We have had over 20 bonuses struck already this season and we’re now seeing trainers send their fillies and mares around the country in an attempt to win them.

“You only have to look at a filly like Dramatist as a great example of this. She initially won a $25,000 rating 65 race at Otaki with the $20,000 bonus attached so effectively it was a $35,625 result. A fortnight later she raced at Banks Peninsula and won a $12,000 rating 75 Race with an $11,500 bonus attached so picked up $54,125 for her connections in just over two weeks.


NZ Racing News

Hastings

Thursday, 29th January 2015

8
17:33
(local)

Nzb Ins. Pearl Series (Bm65)

Type: BM65
NZD $12,000
1600m TURF GOOD
8
17:33
(local)
NZD $12,000
1600m GOOD

Nzb Ins. Pearl Series (Bm65)

Type: BM65


FP Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 8. ACQUISTO (NZ) 3yo F
THEWAYYOUARE (USA) - MAMASAN (NZ)
LISA ALLPRESS
TONY BAMBRY
$6.5
56kg
Tony, Chrissy & Judith Bambry, Mrs S J Exeter, F E Massey, D P & Mrs E M Oliver

Sales Information

2nd 10. DIXIE EXPRESS (NZ) 3yo F
THORN PARK (AUS) - DIXIES GIRL (NZ)
R J MYERS
LISA LATTA
$4
55.5kg
Go Racing Whistling Dixie Syndicate (Mgr: Albert Bosma)

Sales Information

3rd 5. NOTIONANNAGINS (NZ) 4yo M
KING'S CHAPEL (AUS) - ANNIE MCBRIDE (NZ)
ROBERT HANNAM
JOHN BARY
$16.8
57kg
Notionannagins Syndicate (Mgr: P T Sullivan)
4th 6. PIT A PAT (NZ) 5yo M
TOWKAY (AUS) - SECRET STEP (NZ)
SAMANTHA COLLETT
KELLY BURNE
$4.2
57kg

Sales Information

5th 9. KALINGA (NZ) 4yo M
SAKHEE'S SECRET (GB) - FINAL LEICA (NZ)
MATTHEW CAMERON
SUZY GORDON
$13.7
56kg

Sales Information

6th 3. CUPCAKE (NZ) 5yo M
HANDSOME RANSOM (AUS) - MISS COUP (NZ)
B LAMMAS
MS RACHAEL FROST
$12.8
57kg

Sales Information

7th 1. MALROSE (NZ) 6yo M
MR NANCHO (ARG) - TREMBLE (NZ)
HAYDEN TINSLEY
PATRICK CAMPBELL
$4
59kg
8th 7. TAKEMEHOMEBABE (NZ) 5yo M
KEEPER (AUS) - J'ABEEL (NZ)
VANESSA JOHNSTON
GUY LOWRY & GRANT CULLEN
$10.6
57kg

Sales Information

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