Burgundy Races to 2000 Guineas Favouritism

The unbeaten blue-blood colt Burgundy now heads the market for the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas after an easy win in the Listed Ekraar at Linwood Park Canterbury Stakes (1600m) on Sunday.

Coming into the race off the back of two very good wins at Taupo, Burgundy (NZ) (Redoute's Choice x Grand Echezeaux) flew out of the gates in his black-type debut and led the field into the Riccarton straight where he kicked away at the 150 metre mark to put the contest beyond question, winning by one-and-three-quarter-lengths easing down.

Opening at odds of $31 for the New Zealand 2000 Guineas, Burgundy now heads the market at $3 for one of the feature races of the spring, which is now less than two weeks away.

Trainer Jason Bridgman could not have spoken more highly of the colt after his first black-type win, declaring that he will improve once he strikes better footing, with the track rated a dead 6 for the meeting.

A stunning colt, Burgundy will now try to emulate the deeds of his five-time Group 1 winning three-quarter brother Darci Brahma, who won the Group 1 2000 Guineas in 2005 after coming into the race unbeaten in his three-year-old season.

Bred by Peter and Philip Vela, Burgundy was a $1.3 million purchase by David Ellis from Pencarrow Stud at the 2010 Karaka Premier Sale. His Group 1 winning dam Grand Echezeaux has seen four colts sold through the Karaka ring for an average price of over $1.2 million.

Burgundy is the 80th stakes winner for his champion sire Redoute's Choice.