Karma fuels Charma

There was division in the Charma camp over just who the horse was named after but the consensus was the Volksraad gelding was chock-full of potential.

Ridden by Mark Sweeney, the Graeme and Mark Sanders-trained Charma produced a smart debut win in the $12,000 Iverquantel Juvenile (1200m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.

The Volksraad two-year-old gelding, a $52,000 yearling sales buy at Karaka out of the draft of Shelby Park last year, had hinted at his ability with two stylish trials win before his raceday debut.

''He only does what he has to  he's a bit of a cruiser but we were pretty confident,'' Graeme Sanders said.

''He was a bit small as a yearling but he just walked nicely and everything about him I liked. He's still a bit small and he'll be even better as a three-year-old.''

Graeme Sanders said Charma would go to New Plymouth for the Gr III $70,000 Taranaki 2yo Classic (1200m) ahead of tackling the Gr I $200,000 Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on March 13 and the Gr I $200,000 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni on April 3.

''He's a very promising horse. He's got a lot of scope to go on and do things. I always like it when they keep surprising you.''

Raced by Graeme Sanders, Mark Irwin, Ashok Parbhu, and Craig and Cynthia Horn, Charma defeated Raffle's Miss by a short neck with a Eightlives two lengths back in third ahead of favourite Premier Lady, who raced handier than normal but stuck on well ahead of On The Level and Stravanaki.

Earlier, the Karyn McQuade-trained Riomoral made a winning return to stamp himself as a contender for the Gr III Windsor Park Stud Breeders' Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa in the autumn.

Ridden by Michael Coleman, Riomoral jumped straight to the front and after setting terms defied Listed Castletown Stakes winner Rio Fortune in the run to the line, holding a two-length margin at the post.

Gaston made good ground for third ahead of Gendarme, who pipped Gendarme at the finish, with Maidantus and favourite St Germaine the next pair home.

Riomoral's victory was a welcome surprise for Karyn and Hamish McQuade, who had battled injury problems with the Captain Rio three-year-old gelding in the spring.

Riomoral was a decisive winner over Imabayboy at Te Rapa as a two-year-old before finishing second at Taupo and sixth in the Listed Bonecrusher Stakes in his only two previous starts at three.

''He proved today that when he's on song he can dish it up to them,'' Hamish McQuade said afterwards.

''We've always thought we've got a pretty serious horse but that day at Taupo he got knocked around and Vincent Ho's saddle slipped and then at Ellerslie he got galloped on and ended up with a pulled stifle and ligament damage behind his knee.

''That's a big effort today because we thought he might be a bit underdone. We knew he didn't have race fitness.''

Coleman was full of praise for Riomoral's performance.

''Nice horse and leading is his natural way. He travelled well and kicked good. It was only a small field but he's beaten some nice horses.''

Karyn McQuade said Riomoral was unlikely to race again until next month and would have his races spaced with his chief target the $70,000 Windsor Park Breeders' Stakes on May 1.

- © Fairfax NZ News