Ebony Honor was also second In last year's Wellington Cup, to Smiling Like. He had also worn the runner-up ribbon after the 2001 Auckland Cup, New Zealand's other group I at 2 miles when cut down late by Our Unicorn. His only break in the pattern come in this year's Auckland Cup -- when third to Maguire and Cyclades at Ellerslie.Trentham on Wellington Cup day was highlighted by the grand win of Giovana in the Thorndon Mile (NZ-I). The 5-year-old daughter of the deceased Blues Traveller her fourth group I success. In defeating an also game Cent Home by a long neck, took the Carol Marshall bred, owned and trained distaffer's earnings past a million (NZ funds).Women trainers dominated the big day as Cyclades is handled by Cyndes Evans in Auckland.
Cyclades, a gelded 6-year-old grandson of Alleged, collected a career high win in taking the $270,000 (New Zealand funds) Wellington Cup (NZ-I) Jan. 26 for Auckland publisher Wendy Pye.The leading purveyor of children's books, and her husband Don, race the gelding they bred by sending Australian-bred mare La Iris la Bonga to Alleged Dash. The unraced brother of the ill-fated Maroof, from Bustino's English graded winner Dish Dash, has been at John Cromer's Greatford Park, Cambridge since his arrival in New Zealand in 1988. This is his first group I success.Ridden by Lance O'Sullivan, Cyclades, the 4-1 favorite, arrived just in time to again see Ebony Honor narrowly deprived of a major event at 3,200 meters. Prepared from the same barn as Sunline, the Honor Grades 5-year-old was this time beaten a short head.
