Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
Group One performer Town Cryer (Tavistock) has been retired from racing following her fourth placed effort behind Val Di Zoldo in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa last Saturday, and she already has a date with champion New Zealand sire Proisir.
“Joe (Doyle, jockey) said she trotted back a bit lame the other day after the race, so we decided to pull pin,” trainer Roydon Bergerson said.
“She was probably a length off being a Group One winner, but she has been a really good mare to us.”
The daughter of Tavistock was a standout for the Awapuni horseman, winning eight races, including the Listed ANZAC Mile (1600m), Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), Gr.3 Thompson Handicap (1600m), and she was a giant killer in the Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) when defeating multiple Group One winner Prowess.
“That was a big thrill that day (winning the Taranaki Breeders’),” Bergerson said. “I was confident, and I rang up my son (leading New Zealand trainer Sam Bergerson) and I said ‘I am going to have a crack at the big ones. Instead of going somewhere else I am going to go to the fillies and mares race at Hawera’. He said ‘don’t be stupid Dad’.
“Bruce Herd was riding work for us then and he said ‘this horse is flying, let’s have a crack’, so we did and it paid off.”
Town Cryer also placed on 15 occasions, including the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m), Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2100m), Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m), and Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes.
While sad to see Town Cryer leave is barn, Bergerson is hopeful of welcoming her daughters into the stable in years to come.
“She will be sorely missed, let’s hope we can replace her with another one,” Bergerson said. “I don’t think they will be as tough as her though, we have been battling a foot issue for the last two starts and she has done amazingly well.
“The Smith family (owners) are breeders. They will put the colts through the (sales) ring and race the fillies, so we’re hoping she has fillies.”
Another high-class mare is also set to depart the stable next month, with Group One performer Wolverine to be offered at Magic Millions’ Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale.
Initially in the care of Bergerson, the daughter of Tivaci won three of her five starts as a juvenile, including the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) and Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m), and was runner-up in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) and Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
During her marvellous two-year-old run, a majority stake in the filly was sold to Australian Bloodstock, and she continued her career in Australia under the guidance of Kris Lees as a three-year-old. While she didn’t post a victory across the Tasman, she was stakes placed on five occasions, including the Gr.2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) and Gr.3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m).
She was subsequently offered at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in 2023 where she was secured by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis’ bid of A$850,000. She had a couple of unplaced starts for Te Akau trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson before coming full-circle earlier this year and rejoining Roydon Bergerson’ Awapuni barn.
She finished last in her resuming run on an unideal Heavy track at Waverley earlier this month, much to the regret of Bergerson.
“It was my fault the other day (running her on a Heavy track at Waverley),” he said. “They were running reasonable times throughout the day but she just couldn’t get her foot in and Triston (Moodley, jockey) said she was just wheel spinning.”
Wolverine will likely have one more run next week and could get redemption in the Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park next Saturday.
“We will look at Trentham or Rotorua next week, I just want to get her back on a Good track,” Bergerson said. “The girls that are riding her are really happy with her work.”
Bergerson said Wolverine holds plenty of residual value as a broodmare and expects her to be well sought after on the Gold Coast next month.
“She should sell really well,” he said. “She is a beautiful mare. They (Australians) like the speed as two-year-olds, and she had plenty of that.”
While he is set to lose two of his stable stars, Bergerson has plenty to look forward to with his younger stable runners, and he is particularly upbeat about the prospects of juvenile filly Lalume, who ran on well to finish fourth in her 850m trial at Waipukurau on Tuesday.
“I really think the Almanzor filly, Lalume, is a black-type filly,” Bergerson said. “She has got a pedigree to win an Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m). It was an 850m trial today, but she really got through the line strong. She is a lovely filly with a good brain.
“I might just give her one more trial for education so when she comes back next season, she is going to be ready to go. We will get her out now while the weather is still warm and bring her back through the cold winter and have her back ready for the spring and hopefully she is up to those fillies races.”
