John and Karen Parsons had plenty of firepower on the truck to Wednesday’s Riccarton Park Synthetic meeting and their topliners delivered, collecting both open handicaps with Tumuch (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) and Miss Brittany (NZ) (Sacred Falls).
The Balcairn couple picked up their first win on the card in the Speights Summit Ultra On Tap Rating 60 (1400m) with Sway Up (NZ) (Highly Recommended), and two races later, the talented Tumuch started as one of the shortest-priced favourites to step out on the course when contesting the Riccarton Park Function Centre Open Handicap (1600m).
Closing a $1.10 favourite, Tumuch was identified as near-unbeatable by punters after he put on a galloping lesson when winning the Easter Cup (1600m) on the surface a fortnight earlier.
In the hands of Krishna Mudhoo, Tumuch settled on the rail in the trail of frontrunner Peecee Pussycat (NZ) (Pure Champion). The leader gave a good kick on the corner but was swiftly overtaken by Charbano (NZ) (Vespa) and Tumuch, the latter seemingly cruising into the final 100m.
There were a couple of tense moments for favourite-backers as Charbano put up a big challenge, but when Mudhoo asked for an extra effort, Tumuch was too classy and took the race by a half-neck.
Karen Parsons watched on at home and was proud of the son of Satono Aladdin, who had carried seven kilograms more than the remainder of the field.
“He did very well, especially with the big weight,” she said. “We’ll keep going through the poly season with him.”
The victory was Tumuch’s seventh in a 23-start career, of which he has collected over $260,000 in stakes for John Parsons and Peter Lyon.
Another member of the Parsons stable making waves this season is Miss Brittany, and the mare was back in the winner’s circle for the fourth time in her last five starts when taking out the Happy Birthday Max Skelton Open Handicap (1200m).
Despite her sterling form this season, Miss Brittany was among the middle market for the race, with a two-horse war identified between Spartan (NZ) (War Decree) ($4) and Bouyant (NZ) (Dalghar)($4.10). In his typical fashion, Spartan surged for the lead early, eventually crossing Miss Brittany, who sat in the trail inside of her stablemate La Bella Nera (NZ) (Sweynesse).
It would be those three that would end up fighting out the finish, with a perfectly-timed run by jockey Tina Comignaghi sending Miss Brittany across the line in front narrowly ahead of La Bella Nera.
Parsons had anticipated a bold showing from Miss Brittany, while La Bella Nera’s effort in a fresh state came as a welcome surprise.
“It was expected and Tina just waited and waited on her,” Parsons said.
“It’s like she’s stood in the manure heap or something, she’s just grown and grown this season, probably about a foot.
“I was quite surprised with La Bella Nera, she went very well too.”
A daughter of Sacred Falls, Miss Brittany races in the colours of her breeders, Beverley Jones Racing. She is the first foal to race out of Miss Alice, of whom the Parsons trained to win a Gr.3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1600m) in 2015.
Comignaghi and the Parsons combined once again to win the following event, with speedy mare Funfetti (NZ) (Embellish) putting four lengths on her stablemate Hey Mickey (NZ) (Zed) to win the Firefighters Challenge – Phil Leabourn Rating 75 (2200m).