Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
A previous winner on soft and heavy ground, Tonia’s Dragon (5 m Time Test – Camillino, by Per Incanto) was back in business winning the $25,000 Rating 60 1400 metres on 23 January at Matamata.
Winning second-up as a three-year-old on Heavy9 footing at Te Aroha, Tonia’s Dragon was suited to Soft7 footing when winning last season at Riccarton, and once again found conditions to her liking.
Ridden by apprentice Hayley Hassman (a3), who now has seven wins and six placed, from 22 rides, for trainer Pam Gerard, Tonia’s Dragon was outside leader Kananakis (Vadamos) from the outset, and she gained her measure inside the final 150m before drawing out for a nice win.
In the race sponsored by Paper Plus Matamata, Tonia’s Dragon ran 1400 metres on Heavy8 footing in 1:24.6, last 600m in 36.6 (approx.), and paid $2.80 & $2.40 on the NZ TAB tote.
“She’s actually been going good races, but suited dropping back in grade and she seems to like give in the tracks,” Gerard said.
“She was a bit unlucky first-up in this campaign, and ridden too conservatively on a hard track last time, but she looked hard to beat today.
“It was good to get the job done and Hayley (Hassman) put her in the right place.”
Owned by Pegasus Bloodstock, Tonia’s Dragon was purchased for $100,000 at the Karaka 2022 Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Little Avondale Stud.
By their resident stallion Time Test (Dubawi), Tonia’s Dragon is from the family of Champion Three-Year-Old and sire Alamosa (O’Reilly), along with Morphettville Oaks (Gr. 1, 2000m) winner Lights Of Heaven (Zabeel), a quadruple Group Two winner that amassed over $1.5m in prize money, and Diamond Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) winner Dal Cielo (Per Incanto).
Tonia’s Dragon was strapped by Alyster Reeves.
Earlier in the day, prior to the commencement of racing, stable-mate and Champion Three-Year-Old Savaglee (Savabeel) competed in a Group & Listed 1100-metre trial, where, ridden by George Rooke, he began smartly to situate outside the leader and kept up a solid gallop for close (long neck) second.
Having also performed well for close third when trialling on 11 January at Ellerslie, Savaglee is preparing to resume racing in the $500,000 BCD Group Sprint (Gr. 1, 1400m) on Saturday 7 February at Te Rapa.
“I’m happy enough with him and I think we’re okay,” Gerard said. “He wants to be there, one-hundred percent, but it’s just a lack of match fitness at this stage.
“He needs to be ridden to keep improving and in order to go to another level, but otherwise I’m happy with where he’s at without being hard-fit.”