NZ Wrap: Taylor Takes Out Distance Trophy

The Kiwi Group 1 winning success that NSW breeder and owner Stuart Dickinson has enjoyed recently continued at the Hatrick Raceway on Friday when Cawbourne Taylor stylishly prevailed to win the....

The Kiwi Group 1 winning success that NSW breeder and owner Stuart Dickinson has enjoyed recently continued at the Hatrick Raceway on Friday when Cawbourne Taylor stylishly prevailed to win the $30,000 Wanganui Distance Trophy (755m).

Cawbourne Taylor has always displayed solid looking staying tendencies, therefore it came as no surprise to see this Dickson bred daughter of Dyna Double One and Cawbourne Abbi secure her 45.47 win on a rain sodden track for her trainer Matt Roberts.

What did surprise was the pace making ploy that this normal slow starter used.

She used that tactic to deliver her freewheeling victory by a length margin. It was a complete New South Wales result, as the Paul Wheeler bred and Brendon Wheeler owned talented stayer Dyna Weslyn (Kelsos Fusileer – Xylia Allen) gamely chased home the pacemaker. She is prepared by Roberts' father, Craig.

Making it a NSW Group 1 breeding clean sweep was Hot Platter (Barcia Bale – Heat The Plate) who is now conditioned by Angela Turnwald. He hopped into the race from off the reserves bench and he was gallant finishing just three quarters of a length further behind in third. It was his first attempt at an extreme race distance.

It was Cawbourne Taylor's litter sister Cawbourne Taber who won last season's Group 1 New Zealand Oaks at the Addington Raceway for Dickinson and who was also trained by Matt Roberts at that time.

And for good measure Matt Roberts produced another litter sister Cawbourne Zulu to win the support 645m staying event earlier on Friday evening for Dickinson.

"This is a huge result for us, as we've been through a bit of a flat patch lately. To me, training Group 1 staying winners is the ultimate result. I knew that Taylor was ready for a big race as I couldn't fault her campaign this time in after she had a bit of a setback a couple of months ago. I was surprised when she set the pace and led throughout, as I had expected her to take an early sit.

"We'll stick with staying races for her now with next assignment being the T McDonald Cup (Group 2 Cambridge 747m, April 18), then obviously she'll head onto the Silver Collar. It's nice to beat the old man again," chuckled Roberts, who added about the win, "This is a moment to cherish for us as a family having Sarah and Astle at the podium."

Matt along with his partner Sarah Clausen have recently "whelped" son Astle, with Sarah adding, "I only found out I was pregnant days before Cawbourne Taber won the New Zealand Oaks and now having Astle here for this Group 1 win with Taylor is a moment for us to savior."

Cawbourne Taylor has now raced on 49 occasions, winning nine of those. She has placed in another 18 races, which now sees her career stake earnings sitting at $45,262. She can be fully expected to further enhance her stats during her forthcoming staying engagements.

 

 

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