Patrick Erin continues meteoric rise

Patrick Erin continued his meteoric rise with success in the listed $60,000 Riverton Cup (2147m) at Riverton on Saturday (15/04/2017). The Gallant Guru - Mega Babe 5yr-old, trained by Brian and Shane Anderton and raced by Christchurch breeder Pat Smith, his wife, Janice and Tony and Graeme Handisides, began racing 12 months ago. He has now won seven times from 15 starts and amassed $116,945 in stakes. Patrick Erin was ridden in the Riverton Cup by stable jockey Shankar Muniandy, who won two group three Canterbury Gold Cups on Inferno. Patrick Erin had won the Wyndham Cup at Ascot Park at his previous start, his first in open company. He will now be spelled.  It was the third Riverton Cup for Brian Anderton, who was successful with Auditory (1982) and Bloodstone (1989).

The stable also won a maiden race on Saturday with the 3yr-old Slammer (Raise The Flag -Miss Agavero), one of three winning rides for stable apprentice Jacob Lowry. He also won on Taniwha and Elusive Boxers. Taniwha (by Gallant Guru) has won three of his last five starts. Taniwha is trained at Invercargill by Jimmy Curran who won with another Gallant Guru gelding, Rumpelstiltskin, on the second day of the Riverton meeting.

Slammer, who was having his fourth start, is raced by Murray Scott, of Loch Linnhe Station, Kingston; Shane Hausler,  of Christchurch, a director of Lone Star Cafe and Bar; Phil Wilson, a Queenstown solicitor and Katie Carville,  a prominent standardbred breeder of Ohoka. Slammer is her first thoroughbred venture. Carville is the breeder-owner of the pacer Ohoka Punter, winner of the Victoria Derby and group one Blacks A Fake at Albion Park.

Slammer was bred by Scott, Hausler, Andy and Karen Doherty, of Christchurch. They were in a syndicate who raced Miss Agavero to win six races as Agavero in Australia.

"She (Agavero) raced in the Inglis sales race for 2yr-olds($830,000 in 2005) which was a big thrill although she only finished twelfth,'' recalled Scott.

Agavero was trained initially at Mornington by Brent Gray, a former West Coast trainer.

She won at Mornington (three times), Warrnambool and Geelong for Gray. She had her last win in Hobart when trained by Vicki Rhind.

"We brought her (Agavero) to New Zealand and she had a couple of starts from the Parsons stable before she went to stud,'' said Scott.

Agavero (by Canadian horse With Class) was bred in Australia.

Slammer is the third of four foals left by Miss Agavero before she died when in foal to Raise The Flag. Her first foal, Dom Benedictine (by My Halo) was a winner.  Her two other foals are by Raise The Flag --- Shotglass (a 4yr-old) and a yearling colt.