Kauri eyeing further success at New Plymouth
Jess de Lautour • June 9th, 2025 12:44 PM • 3 min read
Central Districts apprentice jockey Liam Kauri has found some deserved good fortune this season and he hopes to continue that winning momentum at New Plymouth’s apprentice-only raceday on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old has had a riding career limited by a number of injuries, but after returning from his most recent hiatus, he has ridden 14 winners and struck up a recent partnership with talented Wexford filly Tristar.
Kauri’s latest success came at the Awapuni Synthetic on Sunday, where he partnered course specialist Doubtful Sound for his employer, Suzy Gordon. Since entering her stable, the gelding had won five all-weather races prior to Sunday’s Rating 75 contest, where he was the 62kg topweight.
Decreasing his impost down to a competitive 59kg, Doubtful Sound broke away well from the ace barrier, and while he is often seen in the pacemaking role, Kauri was happy to sit in the trail of a free-rolling Jamaica Bay.
The leader eased off the fence on the home turn and Doubtful Sound shot straight through the gap, outsprinting Jamaica Bay and Gohugo to score comfortably at the post by three quarters of a length.
“I wanted to let him find his own rhythm, there wasn’t a set plan, but luckily the horse in front of me popped off the fence and we got the dream run through,” Kauri said. “It all worked out really well.
“He switched off a little bit, but when I asked him, he really sprinted and put on a pretty impressive last 350m.”
Kauri had been aboard Doubtful Sound in three of his six victories and while the gelding thrives on the synthetic, he said it is always an uncertainty as to whether horses will handle the surface.
“You never really know how they’ll go, you look at the form and think they’ll go on the firm footing, but on the day, it can be a different story,” he said.
The rescheduled New Plymouth meeting will bring more opportunities for Kauri, having secured the ride aboard Allan Sharrock’s speedy mare Street Gossip. In her first New Zealand campaign, the daughter of So You Think was a winner first-up and the market anticipates her to resume in the same fashion in the Robbie Patterson and Regal Lodge R75 (1200m).
“She’s a nice mare and it’ll be my first time riding a race for Allan Sharrock, I’ve always wanted to ride for him, so I’m looking forward to it,” Kauri said.
“The rail is out, so it usually plays pretty on-speed when that is the case.”
His five other riding assignments include heavy-tracker Cocktail Lad in the One Bold Cat @ G1 Arrowfield R65 (2000m) and Primo Attitude in The Bold One @ Grangewilliam Stud MDN 2YO and Up (1600m). – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
