Mark Du Plessis completed a Group One double on Saturday when he rode Irish Fling to a thrilling victory in the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham.
The Zimbabwean-born jockey’s winning ride in the 1200m feature came after steering exciting filly Recite home in the Group One Levin Classic (1600m).
Both winners came from Hawke’s Bay stables and were sired by Darci Brahma – himself a winner of the Telegraph Handicap (2007).
Du Plessis settled Recite outside the pacemaking Franzac and in a driving finish got home by half a length, with Aspen third.
Recite and Franzac are both from the Hastings stable of John Bary.
It was a welcome return to winning form for Recite, who won the group one Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes in an unbeaten two-year-old campaign but hasn’t won in four starts as a three-year-old.
Du Plessis and Hawke’s Bay were to the fore again in the Telegraph as he brought Irish Fling home from a midfield run to beat Dunedin galloper Natuzzi by a neck.
Irish Fling is from the Hastings team of Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen.
The race was robbed of much interest when Cauthen was scratched after the track was upgraded halfway through the day from a Good 2 rating to a Fast 1.
Cauthen was set to resume, with an Australian campaign in mind, after a Melbourne spring in which he beat Cox Plate winner Shamus Award and Caulfield Guineas winner Long John before being sidelined with shin soreness.
Several other horses were withdrawn late in the last five races due to the track upgrade.
