Matamata imports shine at Riccarton
Richard Edmunds • September 14th, 2025 2:18 PM • 5 min read
Saturday’s two $50,000 open handicaps at Riccarton were won by a pair of former Matamata horses who seem to be loving their new lives in the South Island.
The Sefton Tavern Open Sprint (1200m) was taken out with a stylish first-up performance by Candycane, while Cognito continued his career renaissance with his second straight Riccarton win in Saturday’s NZ Horse Ambulance Winter Appeal Open (1800m).
Candycane began her career in the Matamata stable of Glenn Old, for whom she had 19 starts for a win, three seconds and five thirds. The Pins mare made the move south to join Terri Rae for the 2024-25 season, and her form took an upward swing with three wins and five placings from 10 starts.
The open sprint on Saturday was Candycane’s first appearance since she was a close and unlucky sixth in the Listed Daphne Bannan Memorial Great Easter Stakes (1400m) in late April. She had shown promising signs with a trial win at Ashburton on August 19, and on Saturday she brought that form back to raceday.
Candycane was ridden by Kylie Williams, who settled her in sixth place as Mystic Park and Miss Brittany set the pace up to the home turn.
Williams angled Candycane to the outside and moved her through her gears in the straight. The seven-year-old warmed into her work strongly and finished over the top of the field, going on to beat Zoulander and Specialty by a length and a quarter.
“She’d trialled up nicely leading into this,” said Williams, who lifted her career total to 997 wins. “I thought 1200m might be a bit too sharp for her, but she proved me wrong.
“Terri’s horses always look exceptional when they come to the races, and she’s performed accordingly. We just popped off the back of Tina (Comignaghi, riding La Bella Nera) and started working into it nicely from there. She’s done it easily in the end.
“There’s a great bunch of owners involved in this mare and they’re really enjoying it.”
Candycane has now had 30 starts for five wins, 13 placings and $148,612 in stakes for owners Doug Stuart, Jan Hay, Pete Letham, John Tavendale, Robyn Carr, Lee-Anne Stewart, Bill Thomas, Jo Johnstone and Mark and Larissa Ewing.
Saturday’s 1800m event was all about Te Akau Racing’s Cognito, who has turned back the clock with back-to-back triumphs to kick off his spring.
The son of So You Think was a smart winner of three races as a three-year-old in the 2022-23 season including the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m), and he also performed with credit at four with a third in the Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m), fourth in the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) and sixth in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m).
However, a third placing in the Gr.3 Counties Cup (2100m) was the highlight of a winless nine-start campaign last season for Cognito. Te Akau sent him down to the Riccarton branch of their operation for a change of scenery, and when he stepped out for a 1580m handicap there last month, he had no victories to his name from 15 starts dating back to October 2023. But he broke that drought in style on August 30, and Saturday brought more of the same.
Cognito was unleashed down the outside by jockey Opie Bosson and bounded to the front in the last 100m to beat Proserve by three-quarters of a length.
“It’s really good to see him back in this sort of form,” co-trainer Mark Walker said. “He showed so much in his three-year-old season.
“It has been frustrating with him since then, but after he had the kissing spine surgery to fix his back pain, he’s come back like a new horse. His first-up win suggested he was free of the injury, and it was another really good win on Saturday.
“He’s enjoying being down in our South Island stable at Riccarton. Hunter (Durrant) and the team have got him going really well, and he’ll get up to 2000m next start for the North Canterbury Cup (on September 27).
“He’s really starting to fulfil the potential he’s always had since winning on debut, and it was a very confident ride by Opie.”
Cognito’s 28-start career has produced six wins, nine placings and $310,970 for the Te Akau Think Ahead Racing Partnership.
David Ellis bought Cognito for A$165,000 from the draft of Baramul Stud at the 2021 Gold Coast National Yearling Sale.
“I’m thrilled for the owners and everyone involved with the horse that he has resumed this campaign with two really good wins,” Ellis said.
“He’s always been a good horse and still pretty lightly raced, but performing the back surgery has worked the oracle and he seems better than ever.
“It’s good to see, because he’s got a nomination for the Join TAB Racing Club Mile (Gr.3, 1600m) here during Cup Week in November, and he’s the type of horse that can stretch out to 2000m beforehand and then be freshened for a mile.
“We’ll see what happens, but it’s just great to see him back feeling good and racing well.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk.
