In the racing action at Tauranga on Saturday, it was the Northlanders who took center stage, with Ruakaka trainer Chris Gibbs leading the charge.
Gibbs brought only two horses to the Tauranga meeting, Cakebytheocean and Chevron, and they dominated the feature staying race right from the start.
Chevron, ridden by jockey Craig Grylls, attempted to lead from start to finish, but Cakebytheocean and jockey Masa Hashizume gradually closed in from their trailing position, making their move as they approached the home turn.
These two stablemates pulled clear down the home straight, with Cakebytheocean eventually gaining the upper hand and securing victory by three-quarters of a length over the determined Chevron. Race favourite Poser finished another two and a half lengths behind in third place.
Shortly after this triumph, Ruakaka had more reason to celebrate as Special Privilege, trained by Holly Teesdale, clinched victory at double-figure odds.
Reflecting on the impressive performance, Gibbs commented, “To get the quinella with our only two runners on the day was a fantastic result. I told both sets of owners before the race that I was very happy with both horses and literally couldn’t split them – I just did not know. So I’m delighted that they both came out and ran so well.”
He also highlighted the importance of his horses’ ability to handle travel, saying, “There’s a fair bit of traveling involved when you’re up where we are, so it’s always really good when the horses show that they can handle that.”
Cakebytheocean, previously a three-time winner over shorter distances, has been a revelation over longer journeys in recent weeks. The six-year-old Ocean Park gelding’s success over 2100m at Ruakaka on August 19 marked a turning point, and his close third-place finish over 2200m on September 9 showed his promise in longer races.
Owned by Kylie Bax’s I Love Cake Syndicate, Cakebytheocean has now notched up five wins, six placings, and $133,890 in stakes from 19 starts. Gibbs mentioned considering raising the bar for both Cakebytheocean and Chevron in the coming weeks, including nominations for the Group 3 New Zealand Cup (3200m).
“You’ve got to be in to win with these sorts of races,” and added, “Sometimes it’s worth trying to strike while the iron is hot, so to speak. We’ll wait and see.”
Currently, themarket for the New Zealand Cup with online betting sites lists Cakebytheocean at +3000 and Chevron at +4000, while Cakebytheocean is rated as a +4000 chance for the Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m).
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