Happy Horses Bringing Christmas Cheer To Ballymore NZ

“Happy horses” is what Ballymore NZ co-trainer Chad Ormsby attributes the recent flurry of wins to achieved by his team.

“They are racehorses with a job to do but it’s important to me that they are happy and are loving what they are doing” said Ormsby following another successful raceday on Wednesday which saw the Ballymore team add a 5th win for the month of December when Mrs Neat and She’s Samashing crossed to register a stable quinella.

“It was great to get the quinella on Wednesday at Matamata and I couldn’t be happier with how the horses are performing” said Ormsby.

“We put a lot of time into the horses to make sure they are happy and well in themselves, and we are really starting to see the rewards”.

The promising Unknown Pleasures was the first to open the Ballymore December win account with an impressive victory at Te Aroha, and was quickly joined by stablemates Habitual Offender at Ellerslie and Passing Parade at Awapuni.

Unknown Pleasures has the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham as her long-term goal and Ormsby is upbeat about the daughter of Edenwold’s chances in the March fillies’ classic.

“She is improving all of the time and I really think she is a top-class filly in the making” said Chad.

“The Oaks is her long-term goal and she is a real chance if she continues to improve at her current rate”.

Another December winner Valdivia also has a three-year-old Gr.1 on his radar, with Ormsby circling the New Zealand Derby as his long-term goal.

Valdivia turned heads when scoring an all-the-way win at Tauranga on December 13, and will be taken along patiently as he heads toward the Derby in March.

“We would have liked to have him in the Great Northern Guineas on Boxing Day but we’ll just be a little more patient with him and head to the 3YO race at Ellerslie on January 11 instead”.

“He is a slow maturing horse and we’ll continue to do the right thing by him and keep him happily ticking over” added Ormsby.

Ballymore NZ will be given plenty of opportunity to add to their season tally of 16 wins over the next three weeks as summer racing really starts to gather momentum.

Saturday will see the promising three-year-old The Bunster make his raceday debut, and he will be joined on the truck bound for Te Rapa by stablemates Square Circle, Madly Bentley, Imagine and The Hotz.

Meanwhile a team of Ballymore two-year-olds comprising Massale, Adequate, Reachin’ Out head to Awapuni this weekend with the more experience campaigner Graphic also accompanying the team there.

“It’s a big weekend ahead for Ballymore so hopefully the winning continues” said Ormsby.

“Then we are off to Ellerslie on Boxing Day with a really good team and I am hopeful we can get some black-type with a couple of them''” he added.

Boxing Day will see the much anticipated return of the Gr.1 performer Le Choix, who returns to the track for the first time in over 12 months.

“I am personally looking forward to seeing Le Choix back on the racetrack at Ellerslie. He trialled recently and is really starting to come to hand again”.

Ballymore also holds a strong hand in the three-year-old fillies feature, the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic with two runners entered here.

“Total Response and Stella’s Honour and are both great chances in the Eight Carat Classic, and Stella still might back up in the Royal Stakes on New Years Day”.

Heading into the busiest time of the year for Ballymore NZ, Ormsby is naturally aspiring to keep the winning momentum going.

“I am really happy with the team and the team are all happy too, so we are hoping we can reward our owners, staff and everyone involved with some Christmas winners over the remainder of the month” said Ormsby.

[20 Dec 13]