Group 1 Glory For Volpe Veloce

After a brilliant win in Monday’s $200,000 Group 1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie, Volpe Veloce (Foxwedge) has earned almost double her $240,000 purchase price at Karaka and stamped herself among the top echelon of New Zealand’s sprinters.

Bought by co-trainer Graham Richardson at the 2015 Premier Sale, Volpe Veloce won all of her first seven starts including the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m), Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1550m), Listed Karaka 3YO Mile (1600m) and Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m).

Her form dipped during a wet spring, but she made a triumphant comeback in an open sprint at Ellerslie last month, and on Monday she took the step up to the big time.

Ridden by Jake Bayliss, the four-year-old went back from her wide gate and bided her time until the field rounded the home turn. Then Bayliss turned her loose and Volpe Veloce’s response was explosive, bounding to the lead and scoring by a length and a half from fellow Karaka graduates Packing Eagle (NZ) (Pins) and Volks Lightning (NZ) (Volksraad).

“It’s amazing,” said Richardson, who trains in partnership with Gavin Parker. “She deserves it, the owners deserve it and so does Gavin Parker.

“Bring on the Telegraph (1200m, Trentham, January 20). We might even go to the Newmarket in Australia, as Jake seems to think she is up to it. After a run like that, on ground she doesn’t handle, who knows?”

Volpe Veloce has now had 13 starts for 10 wins and $464,000 in prize-money for her owners, D & C Adams, H Allender, K Anderson, M Chubb, P Dixon, R Featherstone, G Mackin, G Richardson, K & L Robinson, M Skilling, P Spiers, B Wong & K Woodmass.