Racing: Kiwis get close as Parkes is on a roll

It was close but no cigar for the Kiwis in their two feature races at Doomben in Brisbane yesterday.

Dragon Leap provided the New Zealand-trained highlight of the day with a huge second in the A$300,000 BRC Sprint, going down narrowly after being three wide for the trip in his best run this season.

Stablemate Dark Destroyer looked in need of the run as expected in his first start since September and finished well back.

Cambridge filly Sakura Girl was third to Fireburn in the A$300,000 Doomben Roses, over-racing early before pressing on to the lead around the turn and into the straight and only being run down late.

Earlier, Hawke’s Bay galloper Wewillrock was a close second on his Australian debut at Rosehill in Sydney for trainer Guy Lowry.

At home, Johnathan Parkes rode four winners at Awapuni, including the main event on the card, the Listed Rangitikei Cup (1550m) aboard Justaskme.

After taking the first race aboard the Mike Breslin-trained Papa Surf, Parkes brought up career win 1000 when taking race two on the Mark Walker-trained Fellini.

Parkes wasn’t finished there, winning race six on the Peter Didham-prepared Fabian Hawk but saved his best for the Listed feature as he guided the Allan Sharrock-trained Justaskme to victory.

Sharrock had exuded pre-race confidence after the 7-year-old son of No Excuse Needed had finished off powerfully when runner-up to One Bold Cat last start, and with the blinkers applied for the first time in this campaign, he looked an obvious candidate for top honours, albeit carrying topweight of 60kg.

Parkes obliged with a superb effort, seizing the initiative on the wet track specialist by swooping to the front out wide at the 600m as the bulk of his rivals struggled on the heavy10 surface.

Kept up to the mark by Parkes, Justaskme went further in front as the pair approached the winning post, cruising home by five lengths over race favourite Mary Louise and taking his career record to 10 wins from just 31 starts and more than $373,000 in prizemoney.

“I didn’t think we could give Mary Louise [53kg] that much weight and beat her,” Sharrock said.

“As it turned out, he did it in a canter and shows just what a special horse he is.

“Parkesy said that when he let him go coming to the turn, he just went woosh and it was a done deal at that stage.

“The way he had worked during the week gave me plenty of confidence and he finds a few lengths when we put the blinkers on, so there was plenty in our favour, despite the weight he had to carry.”

Justaskme was bred by Sharrock, who co-owns him with his brother Bruce and former Kiwis rugby league international Tony Kemp.

“He is just one of those horses that you have a soft spot for and it’s just fantastic to see him back winning again,” he said.

“He is at the stage now where he gets weighted out of most things, so his main aim is the weight-for-age at Whanganui next month, then we might tick along and hope they get a wet spring at Hastings and we can have a crack at the early Group 1s there.

“He could also go to the Winter Cup [Group3, 1600m] at Riccarton before that, as it is a maximum topweight of 60kg, but that is a bit of a gamble, as if he struck a firm track, it would bugger up your chances at Hastings.”

The Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) is at Whanganui on June 3, while Riccarton’s traditional winter flat feature, the Group 3 Winter Cup (1600m), is run on August 5.

– With NZ Racing Desk