Another Cup for Maygrove

A $110,000 purchase at the Select Sale at Karaka, lion-hearted stayer Maygrove (Authorized) is becoming a king of New Zealand’s Cup races.

The gutsy grey’s trophy cabinet already included the Group 2 Wellington Cup (2400m), Group 2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2000m), Listed Feilding Gold Cup (2100m) and Listed Jakkalberry Classic (1950m), and on Saturday he struck again in the $100,000 Group 3 Ssangyong Counties Cup (2100m) at Pukekohe.

A victim of his own success, Maygrove’s high rating has earned him a 60-kilogram topweight in the Fielding Gold Cup and Counties Cup in his last two appearances. But it hasn’t been enough to stop him.

Trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman and ridden by Johnathan Parkes, Maygrove sat in a handy position before surging into contention in the straight.

In a desperate three-horse battle down the straight with lighter-weighted rivals Five To Midnight (NZ) (Domesday) and Promise To Reign (Manhattan Rain), Maygrove refused to surrender and lunged at the line to win by a short head.

“He’s a cracker horse, having to carry the 60 kilograms,” Parkes said. “He’s been headed about 100 metres out, but he’s kept giving in a super effort.”

Raced by Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock Ltd in partnership with Patrick O’Rourke, Maygrove has now won nine of his 48 starts and more than $470,000 in prize-money.

“He’s a star,” Petagna’s bloodstock manager Bruce Perry said. “He’s so game, he’s brilliant. He’s great for everyone to be a part of.”

It was a Select Sale quinella in the Counties Cup, with runner-up Five To Midnight a $165,000 purchase in 2014.