Dark Destroyer (NZ) Scales New Heights in Hastings Group One

A classy and consistent three-year-old in big races on both sides of the Tasman last season, Karaka graduate Dark Destroyer (NZ) (Proisir) went to a new level in his four-year-old debut – climbing the Group One mountain with an irresistible finishing burst in Saturday’s $300,000 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings. 

Offered at Karaka 2020 with a reserve of only $30,000, Dark Destroyer has now had 11 starts for five wins, three placings and $587,928 in stakes for owners Archer Equine Investments.

It has all happened quickly for the brown gelding, who debuted with a third placing at Taupo on September 17 of last year. He won his next start, then finished third in the Group Two Sarten Memorial (1400m) and fifth in the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).

Victories followed in the Group Three Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) and Group Two Auckland Guineas (1600m), before Dark Destroyer crossed the Tasman to win the Group Three Rough Habit Plate (2143m), place in the Group Two Queensland Guineas (1600m) and finish fourth in the Group One Queensland Derby (2400m).

Matamata trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott freshened Dark Destroyer for a first-up tilt at the Tarzino, where all eyes in the countdown to the season-opening Group One feature were on high-class mares Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) and La Crique (NZ) (Vadamos).

The race appeared to be going to script as Imperatriz took command early in the run home, challenged by Spring Tide (NZ) (Darci Brahma), with La Crique warming up in behind.

But then Dark Destroyer and jockey Lisa Allpress came charging home to crash the party, sprinting down the outside of the track and sailing past those three rivals to win by a length.

“I’m very grateful to be getting on such a neat little horse,” Allpress said. “Full credit to him. He just switched off and gave me such a beautiful ride. He was difficult for me at the trials, but gave me a much better feel today.

“I could see that La Crique was pocketed in the running and Imperatriz was well in front of us, so I got on my bike, and he just gave me everything down the straight.”

The Tarzino triumph continues a highly successful year for O’Sullivan and Scott with their Karaka graduates, having also taken out the Group One New Zealand Derby (2400m) with Asterix (NZ) (Tavistock).

“This horse looks good now but, in all honesty, he still has a lot of improvement in his coat to come,” Scott said.

“He just hadn’t come up at all since returning from Queensland, with the cold air making it hard to keep them warm like he experienced over there.

“There will be a lot of improvement in him, and he has three weeks to get ready to get back down here again for the Arrowfield Stud Plate (Group One, 1600m). Hopefully he keeps going the right way.

“He had the benefit of residual fitness, but it has been a good effort by the team at home to get him ready. He looked a bit average after he trialled at Taupo but Lance (O’Sullivan) said not to worry – he had just pulled a bit hard, and it certainly switched him on and he showed massive improvement.

“The further he goes, it doesn’t seem to worry him. A wee bit of racing and some warmth through the spring is only going to help him along.”

Vendor	Highline Thoroughbreds
Breeding	Proisir – All Can Party
Sale	Lot 979, Karaka 2020 Book 2, Psd (Res $30,000)
Bred by	WE Jeffries