Southland horses successful at Dunedin Cup and Guineas race day

Shockallia won the Dunedin Gold Cup at his fourth South Island start to the delight of his owners, the Carriers Arms Racing Syndicate and Rich Hill Thoroughbreds Ltd.

Shockallia with trainer Kelvin Tyler, left, his employee, Savish Khetoo, and members of the Carriers Arms Racing Syndicate after winning the Dunedin Gold Cup on Saturday. Photo: TAYLER STRONG

• Jamie Searle is a long-time Southland racing writer. For more of his work head to the Southland Thoroughbreds Facebook page.

Southland horses went close to winning five of the 10 races at Wingatui on Saturday.

Four won and four finished second.

Lucrative prize money was put up by the Otago Racing Club for its flagship meeting of the year. 

Riverton trainer Kelvin Tyler trained two winners, Shockallia (Dunedin Gold Cup) and Zambezi Zipper (rating 65 2200m). Andrea Dickson, who also trains at Riverton, won her second race in a fortnight with Capistrano Rocs when the 7-year-old mare scored in the last race.

Jockey Jasmine Fawcett (green and white colours) urges Shockallia to victory in the $100,000 Dunedin Gold Cup at Wingatui on Saturday. Photo: TAYLER STRONG

Hugs, trained at Winton by Sophie Price, gave jockey Terry Moseley a winning return to race riding after injury with success in race one.

The effort of Riverton-trained Drakaina to finish second, beaten half a neck, in the $100,000 Dunedin Guineas reinforced growing opinion that he is well above average for trainer Ebony Turner.

Drakaina ran fourth in the Gore Guineas a fortnight earlier.

Owner-trainer Andrea Dickson and jockey Jasmine Fawcett with Capistrano Rocs after winning race 10 at Wingatui on Saturday. Photo: TAYLER STRONG

The other three Southland horses to finish second on Saturday were Master Abraham, Sestina and Henry Hubber.  

Invercargill trainer Lisa Vaughan lined up Master Abraham who was beaten a long neck in race two. 

Sestina, trained at Ascot Park by Jo Dalton, went down by a long neck in race three, while Henry Hubber, raced from Sally McKay's Invercargill stable, ran second in the open 1200m.

Hugs with trainer Sophie Price and owner Peter Forde following her win in race one at Wingatui on Saturday. Photo: TAYLER STRONG

Shockallia won the Dunedin Gold Cup at his fourth South Island start to the delight of his owners, the Carriers Arms Racing Syndicate and Rich Hill Thoroughbreds Ltd. Shockallia won twice in the North Island before coming south.

"He came down with a good reputation," trainer Kelvin Tyler said.

Shockallia is the replacement for Kilowatt who won 10 races, including the 2022 Dunedin Gold Cup, for the Riverton-based syndicate.

The Invercargill Gold Cup at Ascot Park on February 17 is being considered for Shockallia and stablemate Zambezi Zipper. 

The same day the Tyler pairing of Aberlour and Lady Sass will start in Southland's richest horse race, the $120,000 Southland Guineas. Two weeks ago, Aberlour won the Gore Guineas and Lady Sass was an unlucky fifth, after missing the start, in the Group III Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham.