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A syndicate formed nine years ago to race horses had their biggest pay day when Monkey Magic won the $50,000 www.goodbars.co.nz Cup at Cromwell yesterday.
Monkey Magic, who collected a first prize of $31,250 in the rating 75 1400m race, is trained at Ashburton by Jan Hay for the Micaela Murray Trust and The Red syndicate.
The Red syndicate, including Hay, had had minor success until yesterday.
"Our first horse, The Chosen One, broke a fetlock in training (after two placings in eight starts).
''We had Armagh, who won three; Tease won two and Divertimento won one, but nothing like this," Fiona Tonks, the syndicate manager, said.
Tonks, the racing manager for Ashburton clubs, has managed the syndicate since it was established.
"We started out with 27 members and at present we have 15," she said.
Monkey Magic has won three races for the syndicate, including a rating 70 1400m at the Otago premier meeting on January 31.
The syndicate leased a share in the Golan mare.
The other owner, Micaela Murray, had worthwhile success with Shikoba.
"The syndicate were looking for a horse and Leon Casey put us on to her," Hay said.
Casey, who is employed by Pencarrow Stud, Cambridge, has been instrumental in other horses joining Hay. Monkey Magic joined the Hay stable this season after one unplaced start as a 3yr-old last season for Matamata trainer Mark Walker.
Lisa Allpress was comfortable with her decision to ride at Cromwell yesterday after winning the race for fillies and mares on One Love.
The Wanganui-based jockey had to decide between Cromwell and Ellerslie after the latter meeting was postponed from Saturday.
"I decided on Cromwell as I had 11 rides as opposed to four at Ellerslie and I still had my flights to pay for," Allpress said.
The win on One Love was her 50th for the season.
The 33year-old mother of two children, Josh (4) and Angus (18 months) is confident she can surpass a personal best 84 wins.
Her target is 100.
She rode 84 winners in the 2000-01 season as Lisa Mumby.
She said she had been able to apply herself more to race riding this season after motherhood.
"I came back to riding fairly quickly after my first child but it was a lot harder after the second.
''There was just so much to do with two children at a young age," she said.
Maria Hayston and Jay Misbah made the most of the opportunities as replacement riders for Chris Johnson yesterday.
Hayston won the Cromwell Cup and Justice Day and Misbah won on Lucrative. Trainer Murray Hamilton was fined $600 with $200 costs at a hearing yesterday into the wrong horse starting in a trial at Wingatui on December 17.
Hamilton admitted the charge.
He entered a 2yr-old gelding by Hawkeye from Northerntart for the trial.
A check of brands by the stipendiary steward Mark Davidson indicated the horse was a Hawkeye gelding from Dance To Dance.
Hamilton had omitted to check the brands The hearing was before Geoff Hall and Neil Johnstone.