Gold Cup Takes Prise De Fer (NZ) Past $500,000

Quality Karaka graduate Prise De Fer (NZ) (Savabeel) has spent most of his career in Group company, and a deserved victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Group Three Coca-Cola Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) at Riccarton took his career earnings past $500,000.

Bought by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for $100,000 from Trelawney Stud’s draft at the 2017 Premier Sale, Prise De Fer has now had nine wins and 11 placings in a 32-start career. Remarkably, 22 of those starts have been in Group races, producing three wins, eight placings and five other top-five finishes.

He has performed all the way up to the elite level, placing in the Group One WFA Classic (1600m), Windsor Park Plate (1600m), Livamol Classic (2040m) and Captain Cook Stakes (2000m).

The six-year-old was clearly the class horse of Saturday’s Canterbury Gold Cup field, and the weight-for-age conditions of the race allowed him to demonstrate that superiority with a superb turn of foot in the home straight.

Perfectly ridden by Jason Laking, Prise De Fer settled in the second half of the field before moving off the rail and out into clear running at the home turn. Laking unleashed the favourite inside the last 400 metres, charging to the front and going clear for an emphatic one-length victory over Asathought (So You Think) and Irish Girl (NZ) (El Roca).

Prise De Fer set a new Canterbury Gold Cup race record with his time of 2:00.03, beating the 2:00.32 set 39 years ago by Commissionaire (NZ) (So Vain).

“The owners are continuing to be rewarded for their patience and it was another good win,” trainer Mark Walker said. “I still think he’s capable of another really good season as a seven-year-old. He’s been well looked after.

“It was a lovely ride by Jason Laking, who continues to serve the stable very well when called upon. He presented the horse at the right time and it was a confident display.”

Ellis took great satisfaction from Saturday’s results, with his other Karaka purchases Brando (NZ) (Savabeel) and Belle Of The Ball (NZ) (Savabeel) collecting black-type placings in the Group Three Easter Handicap (1600m) and Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) respectively.

“It was a brilliant thrill to win the Canterbury Gold Cup and a great training decision by Mark, picking out the race and stepping him from 1400 metres to win so well over 2000 metres,” Ellis said.

“He had previously proved himself over 2040 metres in the Livamol, and it was good to see him score a really good middle-distance win.

“In the race prior, Belle Of The Ball produced a super effort for second in the Warstep Stakes, and it may have only been the outside draw that beat her. And Brando, who had to give the winner four and a half kilos, ran a great race for second in the Easter Handicap at Pukekohe, so we’ve had another good day.”

Vendor	Trelawney Stud
Purchaser	Mr DC Ellis (Te Akau)
Breeding	Savabeel – Foiled
Sale	Lot 168, 2017 Premier Sale, $100,000
Bred by	Raffles Dancers (NZ)