Another magical ride by Opie Bosson saw gritty mare Showoroses secure her third career stakes victory when she held out all challengers to win the Gr.2 Dunstan Feeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa.
The Joanne Surgenor-trained five-year-old had enjoyed a purple patch of form at this time of the season last year, finishing second in the 2020 edition of the race before going on to win the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) and Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at her next two starts.
A handy run in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) earlier this month fitted the daughter of Showcasing for her second-up assignment, with Bosson negating a tricky outside barrier (12) to have the mare sitting outside the leader after just 400m.
Bosson drove Showoroses to the lead early in the run home but was immediately tackled by Our Alley Cat who popped her head in front.
Not to be denied, Showoroses responded to the urgings of Bosson as she regained the lead before fighting off our Alley Cat by a head with race favourite Two Illicit just shading Slave To Love for third.
Bosson paid tribute to the fighting qualities of his mount after the race.
“I had to work a little bit hard early and I thought when that other horse came up alongside me that we were all out,” he said.
“To her credit she dug in and had a real go.
“I thought we might have got outside the leader a little easier and I had to niggle her to get up there, but she just travelled beautifully from then.
“She really fought hard and got off the canvas to win well.”
Trainer Joanne Surgenor is looking forward to watching a replay of the race after missing all the action when her phone gave out shortly after the barriers opened.
“I had an exemption to drive her down to the track from the Auckland region, but I couldn’t then leave the truck,” Surgenor said.
“I was all set to watch the race on my phone but just as they left the barrier it stuffed out and I was in the dark.
“I was desperately trying to listen for any part of the commentary, but all I heard was Showoroses wins, which was just fantastic.
“She is really tough and a fighter.
“We call her a wee ginger devil as she just won’t give in.
“I wasn’t too worried about her last start as it brought her on nicely for today and that was the main mission.
“I think we will now follow the same path as last year and hope she can reproduce that sort of form.”
Raced by her breeders, former Auckland Racing Club Board member Peter Walker and his wife Sherin, Showoroses has won five of her 16 starts and over $257,000 in prizemoney.
She is a daughter of their talented race mare Rodrigo Rose, who won six races including two at stakes level and was also placed in the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) and the Gr.1 Easter Handicap (1600m).
Video: Showoroses displays all her fighting qualities to score at Te Rapa
