Blue-Blooded Al Hasa (NZ) Dominates Welcome Stakes

Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis had big plans in mind for Al Hasa (NZ) (Exceed And Excel) when he bought him at Karaka, and the blue-blooded colt took a huge step in the right direction in the $50,000 Listed Barneswood Farm Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton on Saturday.

The perennial leading buyer at the Premier Sale, Ellis paid $625,000 to buy the son of Group 1-placed mare Oasis Rose (Oasis Dream) and made no secret of his opinion of the colt.

“The race I’ve always really wanted to win is the Golden Slipper, and I believe that this is that sort of colt,” he said after signing the paperwork in January. “The colt’s pedigree is outstanding and he has impressed me all the way through.”

Raced by the Te Akau 2017 Breeding Syndicate, Al Hasa did a few things wrong in finishing a close second on debut at Ellerslie late last month. Saturday’s black-type feature was a very different story.

Ridden by Opie Bosson, Al Hasa took the lead early in the race and never looked back. He streaked down the straight and went further and further ahead of his rivals, crossing the line six lengths clear.

“He’s one of the best two-year-olds I’ve sat on for a while,” Bosson said. “He’s a great prospect for the Karaka Million and maybe even the Slipper.”

Al Hasa was bred by Cambridge Stud’s Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan in partnership with prominent Hong Kong owner-breeder Dr Gene Tsoi