Ima Fivestar General NZ takes out Village Kid Sprint
Robbie Williams with Ima Fivestar General NZ after his win in the feature. Photo Credit – Northam Harness Racing Club
Robbie Williams went into Saturday nights Village Kid Sprint confident that his horse Ima Fivestar General NZ could get the job done, and the $1.45 favourite didn’t disappoint, managing to sit outside the leader throughout to win by four metres.
Purchased through a friend in New Zealand, Williams had his eye on the impeccably bred horse for a while before purchasing him late last year.
“He’s from a very strong family, his half-sister is Bettors Heart NZ who won the Ladyship Mile in Sydney and she’s now racing in America. She won on Saturday night as well. She won in America, and he won here,”
“It would be nice for him to do what his sister has done, but he’s got a long way to go just yet.” Williams said.
In a mile rate of 1:55:1 over the 1780m trip in the Avon Valley, the recent arrival to WA continued his good form into the race and after making his racing debut in Perth in early January, has now recorded four wins and a second placing from just five starts for Robbie Williams stable.
“I think in 12 months’ time he will make it through to open class, but he’s still got a long way to go yet. He’s still not that high up in grade at the moment, I do see him as an open class pacer in the future.”
Williams will be aiming for the Easter Cup with Ima Fivestar General NZ this preparation.
“He’s very laid back and very casual, he just does what he has to. He’s not a horse that will win a race at any level by a long way, he just does what he needs to do.”
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Marianne Boyd has waited a long time to have a horse good enough to make it to the track, seven years to be exact, but in late 2021 she and her family purchased Sundancer Rainbow from Victoria, and on Saturday night the five-year-old broke through for the win in race three with Shannon Suvaljko on board, after knocking on the door at her previous seven starts for the stable.
“My brother got us all going again. We wanted another horse, so we all put money towards it,”
“We just missed out each time (she raced), but we are very happy with the win.” Boyd said.
Starting from barrier one, she was beaten for speed at release point and settled behind the leader over the 2620m, but after making full use of the sprint lane, Sundancer Rainbow went on to win by 3.1m in a mile rate of 2:03:5, giving Suvaljko a driving treble on the card.
Coming from a large family of horse lovers, Boyd has always enjoyed racing and with a lifetime of involvement thanks to her parents, she has spent the past several years looking for the right horse. Having a three-year-old who is currently on spell due to an injury, Boyd and her husband bred a foal last year, a nine-week-old filly by locally stood stallion Rock N Roll World USA out of their mare Cammie.
“It’s in your blood, we do it because we love it.”
Boyd aims to race Sundancer Rainbow this week and depending on how she goes, may look at heading to Williams the following Sunday for the Cup on the 6th of March.
Ashleigh Paikos