Sharp 'N' Silver pictured at Riccarton earlier this year. photo: Canterbury Jockey Club
A quinella in the first race of the day at Motukarara lifted the spirits of Trainer Andrew Cartston who had earlier scratched Major Ish Choux due to a bizarre injury she sustained on the transporter on the way to the races.
The five-year-old mare suffered a cut to her rump during the half-hour truck journey from Riccarton to Motukarara, which required ten surgical staples.
“It was the strangest thing,” said Carston. “She's cut herself on the back of the float, the cut is about a five to six centimeters so she couldn’t race but luckily it’s not too serious and she will be fine.”
Meanwhile, stablemates Sharp ‘N’ Silver and Severine proved to be in great shape taking first and second place in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1400m).
“I was really happy for Sharp ‘N’ Silver she has been racing well and she deserved the win, but I was also a little bit disappointed for Severine,” said Carston.
“She probably should have won the race and she would have been up for the Pearl Series Bonus too, but a win is a win and we’re always happy to get one.”
Go Racing-owned mare Severine got back further than expected due to the tempo of the race and was held up for a run before eventually pushing through to finish within a neck of her winning stablemate.
Both mares will now head to Riccarton during Cup week, with Carston yet to confirm which races they’ll run in.
Bred by Kendayla Park and raced by N Adamson, J Boulton, R Bromley, T Butt, A, G, G & K Carston, G Forward, M Palermo, D Paterson, D R & S Pengelly, D Reynolds and R & R Rogers, Sharp ‘N’ Silver is a five-year-old mare by former Windsor Park Stud-based sire Gillotine out of the multiple race winning Bertolini mare Latika.
Zah Wanted was another placegetter for Carston Racing Stables on the day, when third in the Canterbury Equine Clinic Rating 65 (1400m).
Cartson’s stable Apprentice Kozzi Asano was also successful on the day winning two races including the feature race of the day, the C S Stevens Memorial Banks Peninsula Cup (2200m) onboard Owen Patrick.