$1.75m Yearling Scores on Debut

The top-priced yearling of the 2012 National Yearling Sales Series, King’s Rock (Fastnet Rock x Nureyev’s Girl), scored the first win of his career on debut today at Te Rapa in the $7,000 Tom & Don’s Tribute to Dunstan Dave Maiden 1400m.

King's Rock as a yearling at Karaka with Te Akau's David Ellis.

The $1.75 million colt - a three-quarter brother to the 2011 NZB Filly of the Year King’s Rose (Redoute’s Choice) - was purchased by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis at last year’s Karaka Premier Sale and is trained by Te Akau’s resident trainer Jason Bridgman.

Ridden by leading jockey Matthew Cameron, the son of hotshot sire Fastnet Rock had to overcome a lack of experience and the outside barrier draw of 15 in the capacity field to score by a head.

“We know Te Rapa is not an easy place to come from well back but he drew the outside gate and we didn’t want to hustle him, and Matthew rode a very patient race on him,” commented Bridgman.

“It was a very good effort to quicken up and finish as strong as he did, we all like to see a colt with his pedigree with a nice turn of foot.”

“He is a lovely big colt that has taken a little bit of time to get the strength to match his frame. He wasn’t really strong enough to race at two, but since he has wintered the strength is there and since his first trial this preparation he has really turned the corner and kept on improving. He is a really progressive type of colt and I think he will just go from strength to strength from here.

“He still has got a lot to learn, we haven’t seen him really knuckle down and hit the line, what he is doing is on raw talent and he will continue to learn with racing.

“He was a beautiful yearling, David Ellis had him marked down as the colt of the sale and he was highly contested at auction and obviously went for a lot of money so hopefully he can go on and fulfil that promise and become a sire prospect.

“I think he is a horse that has good stamina about him as well but he quickened up nice enough today to show that he could be a top-class colt at a miler as well. We will take it race by race and then cement plans but at the moment we have 2000 Guineas in the back of our minds.”

Bred by Standard 2080 Ltd from the stakes placed Nureyev’s Girl (Nureyev), a half-sister to three stakes winners, the impressive yearling was sold at Karaka by Cambridge Stud.

King’s Rock came into his first race on the back of four trials, winning his most recent of them, and earned his owners, Te Akau King's Rock Syndicate, $4,375 for his winning performance today.