Close Calls For Stock of Keeper

 
5 Dec 2009

The stock of Cambridge Stud's Keeper have had a frustrating run of seconds in major Group Races during the last month.


The John Sargent-trained
St Germaine (Keeper ex Selenium) was denied Group One victory by just a half-head in the Levin Classic at Otaki on the 27
th of November.  Winner of the Gold Trail Stakes-Gr.3 at Hastings this season, St Germaine was Group One-placed as a juvenile when third in the Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes.  The filly was also second in the Matamata Breeders' Stakes-Gr.2 last season and second this term in the Hawkes Bay Guineas-Gr.2.



Keep the Peace (Keeper ex Peace of Mind) is another to have come agonisingly-close to Group One success of late.  The filly got to within a half-neck of victory in the NZ 1000
Guineas at

Riccarton
Park
, a race won the Cambridge Stud-owned Katie Lee.  Keep the Peace, who is prepared by Shaune Ritchie, looks a great talent having won twice and been twice placed second from just four starts.


Another undoubted talent by Keeper is the Gerald Shand-owned
Finderskeepers (Keeper ex Join the Fun).  The striking bay gelding went down by a short head to Joey Massino in yesterday's Avondale Guineas-Gr.2.  Like Keep the Peace, Finderskeepers has never been out of a place.  His five runs to date have netted two wins and three seconds.  Finderskeepers is prepared by Richard Collett who purchased the horse at last year's NZB Ready to Run Sale.



Keeper