Chris Johnson renewed winning ways with the feature metric mile at the Canterbury Jockey Club Easter meeting when he rode I'm Your Venus on Saturday, on his 48th birthday.
Johnson had his previous win in the race in 1987, aboard Some Reason, trained by Jim Gibbs and Roger James. Johnson had won two years earlier on the 3yr-old filly Canterbury Belle, owned and trained by Nick Wigley.
I'm Your Venus is trained at Loburn by Matt and Mandy Brown, who race the Show A Heart mare with Mark and Carolyn Todd.
I'm Your Venus, now the winner of four races, was passed in for $45,000 at the 2009 premier yearling sale when she had a reserve of $60,000.
Ortem Fire took the lead in the South Island Filly of the Year series with her win in the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes. She raced mid-field and held off the fast-finishing Asavant by half a head.
She credited her sire, Gallant Guru, with a listed race winner from his first crop. Gallant Guru stands at the White Robe Lodge stud and Ortem Fire is in the same establishment. She is trained by Brian and Shane Anderton.
She was bred by Brian and Lorraine Anderton who have her leased to a group of owners, including the Progressive syndicate in which they are members.
Ortem Fire is out of Emerald Fire, an Honor Grades mare who won four races to 2000m when trained by Ned Thistoll.
Ortem Fire remained in Christchurch for the Warstep Stakes (2000m), the final race in the southern filly series next Saturday.
She has 10 points, three ahead of Cora Lyn and Kasumi who have won other races in the series.
Ortem Fire will be joined by her stablemate and half-sister Inferno, who is in the Canterbury Gold Cup, a race she won last year.
Courtney Van Der Werf was suspended from April 22 to 26 inclusive after she admitted careless riding on Peace. She shifted out near the 300m, causing a check to Bremusa.
Tropical Punch lost a hind plate and she was galloped on.
