A week after becoming only the second New Zealand trainer to reach 2000 wins, South Island racing icon Michael Pitman teamed up with jockey Lisa Allpress to celebrate another notable milestone in Saturday’s Avon City Ford Rating 75 (2600m) at Riccarton.
Pitman and his son and training partner Matthew saddled the quinella in the $35,000 staying event, with Star Ballot (NZ) (Tarzino) edging out stablemate Tomyturbo (NZ) (Sacred Falls) by half a length. Star Ballot was ridden by Allpress, who notched up her 100th career win for the Pitman stable.
“We’re really good friends and it’s good for her to reach 100 winners for us,” Pitman said. “She used to come down here when she was an apprentice to ride for us, so it’s really good and I’m sure she’ll enjoy this as much as we are.”
The win also inched Allpress a step closer to her own 2000-win milestone, lifting her tally of New Zealand victories to 1910.
“We’ve had a bit of a sabbatical recently, so it’s taken a while to bring up the 100th winner for the stable,” Allpress said. “But it’s always nice to get on their horses. You know they’re going to give you a good show.
“Our association goes back to when I was an apprentice and I used to come and ride for him at midweek meetings. It’s all about the grounding that you get as a young apprentice. You’ve got to take the knocks as well as the good times, and I think he’s taught me a few things along the way, as well as Mr (Kevin) Gray.”
A strong-finishing fifth and fourth in his two previous starts over 2000m, Star Ballot relished the step up to 2600m on Saturday. After settling at the tail of the field, the five-year-old Tarzino gelding began to edge forward coming up to the home turn.
Star Ballot got on the back of Tomyturbo as he surged to the front in the straight. Allpress then angled her mount to the outside, and Star Ballot lengthened stride and finished over the top of his stablemate for an impressive win.
“After I found out I was riding this horse, I went back through his videos – he’s a really nice stayer,” Allpress said. “He’s obviously got those miles under his belt.
“He could be earmarked for a nice race like the New Zealand Cup (Gr.3, 3200m), because he just seems to stay really well. There was no panic today and I still felt like I had a lot underneath me at the top of the straight.”
Pitman paid $45,000 to purchase Star Ballot from the 2020 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka. He has now had 26 starts for five wins, six placings and $126,405 in stakes.
“I don’t have many favourite horses, but Star Ballot is probably one of my favourites,” he said. “If it had been a really firm track today, I think this horse would have won by five lengths.”
